Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2018 | Page 41

Great Partnership
According to Kankare, SRV feels that it is
moving forward with a very like-minded
partner, because the City of Tampere is
very committed to the project – and has been
since early 2000s.
“Tampere has had the vision and
resolve to keep pushing this thing onwards,
even through some tough economic times,”
Kankare gives credit to the City decision-
makers.
SRV wants to begin construction work
on the southern deck and arena as soon as
possible. “We are already engaged in pre-
paratory work in the railway yard, such as
the modification of rail electrification and
test piling,” says Eklund. Naturally, working
in such a way that the rail traffic is not dis-
turbed poses a bit of a challenge, but Eklund
is confident that neither the train passengers
nor the local residents will suffer unduly.
“We strive to ensure that all prepara-
tory work causes the least possible distur-
bance to the neighbourhood,” he promises.
Since the project deploys a deck structure,
there is less excavation and removal of land
masses which the more ‘traditional’ projects
often require.
“The parking facilities will need some
excavation, but that’s really the only major
issue.”
Lessons from Kalasatama
According to Toni Kankare, increasing the
appeal of city centres is something that SRV
is very keen on. “We have a track record of
taking on big projects such as Kalasatama,
which takes a modern, sustainable approach
to solidifying the urban structure,” he says,
tainment package” that the Tampere project
will eventually deliver. “In addition, most
Finnish arenas do not have a very central
location, but at Tampere, you will be exactly
where all the action is – and that makes you
want to stay longer, too.”
referring to the “model district for the future”
that is being built in Helsinki. SRV’s REDI
Centre – the heart of Kala­satama – just won
the Worksite of the Year Award.
“In addition, there is always something
you learn along the way that you can uti-
lise later on. In Tampere and Kalasatama,
high-rise expertise is needed as both fea-
ture prominent towers.”
Kankare and Eklund note that SRV
is consistently on the lookout for projects
which involve smooth mass transportation,
such as rails. Hence, the western metro –
which kicked off on 18 November – is a
great fit for the company’s plans.
“We have been developing the com-
munities surrounding the new metro stations
for years now and will continue to do so,”
Kankare says. The company has been very
active in, for example, Niittykumpu where
the highest building has 24 floors.
“These types of projects are also teach-
ing us a lot about hybrid construction, when
you have residential and commercial ele-
ments linked with transportation issues”,
adds Eklund.
Eastern Promises
Both men view the metro as the “great
enabler” which has the power to revital-
ise old communities and to launch entirely
new ones – and there are still opportuni-
ties along the tracks in places you may not
first suspect.
“If you take the metro-east from down-
town Helsinki, you see stations such as Hert-
toniemi and Siilitie featuring quite ineffi-
cient functionality near the stations. There’s
a lot that can be done to upgrade these neigh-
bourhoods,” Kankare believes. l
Nordicum 41