Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2019 | Page 24

Oulu pushes growth
via verticality, sustainability and culture
Oulu, heralded as the “Capital of the Northern Scandinavia” is presently engaged in building an even
brighter future. Under the City Centre 2040 vision, Oulu is looking to increase those elements that add
to the appeal and dynamic nature of the northern hi-tech community.
A
pproved by City Council in April
2017, the Vision acknowledges that
the downtown is never really com-
plete: it has to change with the times in
order to pursue growth. Oulu has a good
track record in creative community renewal
and the City Centre Vision 2040 is building
on that tradition.
One key aspect of the Vision is the
revitalization of the railway station quarter,
since its excellent location in the city core
provides plenty of opportunities for rede-
velopment. The main land owners, Sen-
ate and VR Group, will work with the City
of Oulu to create a modern, exciting travel
hub. Another logistical opportunity involves
trams: as the population of Oulu keeps grow-
ing, a tram line is a great fit for the city.
Oulu is also exploring its vertical
reach. There are plans to build a 22-floor
24 Nordicum
tower hotel right by the market square.
Reaching 80 meters, the building goes by
the name Terwa Tower and it could be open
for business, conceivably, by 2023.
High Times
Matti Matinheikki, Director, Urban & Envi-
ronment Services for the City of Oulu, says
that the tower introduces new kind of high-
rise and hybrid construction in the down-
town area.
“In addition to the hotel, the building
is supposed to feature, for example, offices,
restaurants and a spa,” he says, adding that
Terwa Tower is one important example of
the Vision going forward.
Over the next five years Oulu will
also participate in a large international EU
project under the Horizon 2020 program’s
Smart Cities and Communities (SCC) theme
which promotes the low carbon objectives
of the cities. The project involves 34 part-
ners from all over Europe.
In practice this means that Oulu is a
pilot city in ‘Making-City’ project where
innovative energy solutions are designed,
carried out and tested under a PED agenda
(Positive Energy District).
“The pilot site of Oulu is situated in
the Kaukovainio center in which a build-
ing complex based on innovative energy
solutions is designed and built in coopera-
tion with the project consortium,” explains
Matinheikki.
Scalable Sustainability
The pilot site produces energy and utilizes
waste heat in such a way that the entity