Espoo to place university building on top of planned Otaniemi Metro station

Campus to have apartments for 700 residents

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The City of Espoo is planning to situate the main building of a proposed top university in the area south of the present Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) in Otaniemi. The Otaniemi Metro station is to be located beneath the building.
      Espoo is rapidly drawing up a new city plan for the campus area. A proposal for the plan is to come before the city planning department.
      "The building has to be more conspicuous than usual, because it will be on the same square as the HUT main building. An open architecture competition is to be arranged for the planning", says Tuomo Hahl, leading expert at Senate Properties, which owns and builds all university buildings.
      Hahl says that Otaniemi is an appropriate location for the main building, as most of the proposed university campus will be there.
      A Metro connection from Helsinki will be a major boost to student mobility.
      "It takes five minutes to get from the Helsinki School of Economics to the Kamppi Metro station, and it takes another five minutes to get to Otaniemi", Hahl says.
      Construction of the new Espoo Metro line is expected to begin at the end of this decade.
      The third part of the proposed mega-university - the University of Art and Design Helsinki is far away in Arabianranta in rented premises, and the lease is running out.
      There is space for other new buildings for the proposed university in and around Otaniemi.
     
Espoo City Planning Chief Kari Moilanen estimates that the office and teaching facilities will provide work for about 1,500 people in the southern part of the campus area.
      "To bring more life and people to Otaniemi, apartments for about 700 people will be built. They will be set up amidst existing residential buildings in the eastern part of Otaniemi", Moilanen says.
      Housing is to be built for both students, and for international researchers.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Greater Helsinki Area top university does not show up well in comparison of results (3.5.2007)
  Idea of Finnish top university generates heated debate (17.4.2007)

Links:
  News release: The Student Unions of the Helsinki School of Economics and Helsinki University of Technology demand a top university for Finland (22.2.2007)

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