Kamppi Commercial Center to open tomorrow in downtown Helsinki

"More youthful than Stockmann's - more sophisticated than Forum"

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The first part of Helsinki's new downtown commercial and residential centre in Kamppi will open its doors on Thursday, as soon as the main walkways and the shops on the market square level - which also houses the Espoo bus terminal - have been opened.
      The terminals for Espoo buses and long-distance coaches will be available on Sunday and Monday. The entire shopping & business complex will be completed by the beginning of March 2006.
      The Kamppi Center will be opened by President Tarja Halonen, who will switch on the escalator leading to the adjoining Kamppi metro station. The president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus and his spouse will attend the opening ceremony. Klaus is currently on a state visit to Finland. The public will be admitted into the new premises at 3 pm, when guided tours are to be organised around the new bus terminals.
     
The shops, restaurants, and service points which will be opened first comprise about one-fifth of the total area of the shopping complex. They are meant for fast shopping and eating. While construction workers, suppliers, and sales assistants were all still working feverishly in scenes of near-chaos on Tuesday, everybody reported that all places would be in order by the opening day.
      Many shops will be moving to the Kamppi Center from other shopping malls, as the vendors believe that it will inevitably become the "heart" of Helsinki, with the city centre gravitating there.
     
The largest supermarket, K-Supermarket Kamppi, will be open until 10 pm daily, while some smaller outlets intend to apply for a dispensation to allow them to be open 24 hours a day.
      Once completed, the Kamppi Center will comprise five floors, and above them, there will be a nightclub in the penthouse premises, with a roof terrace overlooking the western skyline of Helsinki.
      Contracts have already been signed for some 80% of the 35,000 square metres of the total floor space available. The number of entrepreneurs is over 120.
      The three residential and office buildings of the Kamppi Center - entitled Anna, Fredrik and Salomo - will all be completed by Christmas. The total number of residences is 99, and over 70 of them have already been sold.
      The resident-owned apartments seem destined to become Helsinki bases for wealthy people who have permanent residences elsewhere. They need a pied-à-terre in Helsinki because of work or they may have a residence in Spain during the winter.
      The rental of business premises has also got under way, and some 30% of them have been rented so far. The offices will be located on five floors above the commercial premises. The office floors will be abut 800 sq.m. in size and they will be modifiable into smaller office suites.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Kamppi Center reaches its full height (18.10.2004)

Links:
  Kamppi Center

Helsingin Sanomat