Park Avenue wins the Herttoniemi design street competition

The winner of a competition for ideas to liven up the business district of the Herttoniemi suburb in eastern Helsinki is a proposal named Park Avenue.

The jury commended the winning proposal for a holistic approach, straightforwardness and a bold vision for the main street. According to the jury, the proposal’s street lane arrangements, gardening, parking slots, workshop buildings, landmark, lighting and fence structures work together to form an original milieu that naturally blends with the area’s business operations.

The members of the winning team are Pia Sopanen and Ilkka Svärd as well as Tuuli Sopanen as an assistant. First prize brought them 10,000 euros.
 
The jury was positively surprised about the large number of proposals. Proposals were submitted by 40 teams. The objective of the competition was to extend the scope of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 to outside the city centre and to areas that aren’t normally associated with design. The competition area was Laivalahdenkatu-Mekaanikonkatu. The competition was open to all teams of no less than three members regardless of nationality or educational background. 

“The competition showed that the main street of the business district is an inspiring target for designers and that many more groups are keen to develop it than the organizers of the competition,” comments Architect Dan Mollgren, who was Competition Secretary.

Second prize went to the proposal named Liike (“movement”). That proposal makes skillful use of the dynamics of the district and strengthens its identity.

The proposals Hertsika All Stars (“Herttoniemi All Stars”) and Työn iloa (“joy of work”) were in shared third place. The former was cited for a plan that draws on the area’s history, and the latter for handsomely designed structures and new functions.

The jury also purchased the proposal named Hohde (“glow”) and gave an honorary mention to Herttoniemi Design St.

The competition was organized by Helsinki’s City Planning Department, Real Estate Department, Neighbourhood Project, Public Works Department and Economic and Planning Centre in collaboration with the World Design Capital (WDC) Helsinki 2012 project. The chairman of the jury was Pekka Timonen, director of the WDC Helsinki 2012 project. The competition was part of the Metrohelsinki project, in which the City and local businesses collaborate to raise awareness of areas on the metro in eastern Helsinki as dynamic business districts.

The proposals and criteria for the selection of winners are on view at the Laituri gallery in Kamppi through January 22.