Oivallustentalo building

Oivallustentalo, which translates as House of Ideas, will be built on a currently empty lot in the center of Myyrmäki, Vantaa, and will serve as the area’s new living room. The building will offer local residents cultural spaces and services that highlight Myyrmäki’s unique character. It will house the Vantaa Adult Education Center, the Vantaa Music School, the Vantaa School of Visual Arts, the Toteemi Children’s Cultural Center, Vantaa-info, a youth center, and a community space, and at a later stage also the Kino Myyri movie theater.

The creation of vibrant and pleasant urban environments is made possible by high quality architecture and urban planning. Oivallustentalo should  be viewed as part of Myyrmäki’s broader urban fabric and must thus be connected to the surrounding urban space and green environment: the Iskostie street to the west is a green network connection, the Paalutori square to the north is the beating heart of Myyrmäki, and the Myyrmanni Shopping Center to the east is the area’s commercial hub.

The Oivallustentalo building is also part of the area’s layered urban structure. Its building mass is structured in relation to its surroundings. The undulating facade is visible to the south all the way to the Rajatorpantie street. On the Iskostie side, the building’s mass is diverse and undulating, avoiding a long, uniform facade. On this side, the building’s ground floor recedes, expanding the street-level public space.

The activities of Oivallustentalo are intended to extend outdoors to Paalutori. The building’s facade facing Paalutori is significant in terms of recognizability. This is the facade that is visible upon arrival from both the train and bus stations.

The junction between Oivallustentalo and the Myyrmanni Shopping Center has been coordinated through the new building’s massing. There is an internal connection between the buildings. Maintenance access for both has been addressed in the design by arranging a shared maintenance yard between the buildings.

The building’s entrances are highlighted, and functional sightlines are provided along the main access routes facing both Paalutori and Iskostie. The arcade designed for Oivallustentalo parallels the Myyrmanni arcade. Other significant architectural elements of the building include a functional rooftop courtyard and green roofs.

The interiors emphasize versatility and adaptability. The spaces are divided into separate wings by functional groups. Shared lobby areas are located in the center of the building in between the wings. The passageways and lobbies are designed as participatory spaces that encourage movement, experimentation, and observation of the surroundings. The atrium on the top floor is a room-like outdoor space that allows for versatile use.

ALA has previously produced a feasibility study and a concept design for Oivallustentalo and has recently been named the designer for the project’s implementation phase. The building is scheduled to open in 2029.