The Viikki Science Park
The progressive concept of a science park, referred in the last issue, is often demonstrated outwards through innovative architecture and urban design. As an exemplary illustration might be regarded the Science park Viikki at Helsinki. Modern hi-tech architecture, with audacious constructions, combining metal and glass, all in harmonic contrast with the traditional local wooden architecture.
Viikki is a new suburb of Helsinki, however, within the conurbation it occupies a central location, only 8 km far from the city centre. The science park is a large complex, consisting of university district, office premises and two business incubators blocks. There are also shopping centre, student village and experimental residential neighbourhood with ecological measures implemented. In addition to the incubators, the science park also hosts several big companies and research institutions. The science park is one of the most important European centres of biotechnology research. By the way, 10 percent of European companies, active in this branch, have their quarters in Finland.
The science park is tied up to the University of Helsinki, which has in Viikki one of its four centres, specialising in biotechnology, biological sciences, agriculture and forestry, environmental sciences and medicine. Moreover, the university is the owner and the manager of the science park, in company with the local municipality, national technology agency Sitra and the group of private firms.
The compositional heart of the complex is a majestic round building of the „Korona Infocenter“, which is the focal point at the end of the curved street lined by the two existing „Biocenter“ buildings. The building is used as an information centre and a main campus library, there are also congress halls and auditorium. The entrance to the biocentres is the impressive two-storey glass and steel green wall, in the future to be shaded by vines. It has become the main symbol of the park and materialises the conjunction between the technology and the nature that has enabled the birth of biotechnology.
Until the beginning of the 1990s, there were only several university and student hostel buildings in Viikki. The decision to build the Viikki Science Park was made in 1993 and two years later the first two Biocentres were erected. Today, the major part of the complex is already completed. By the end of 2004, the buildings in the science park have 160 000 m2 of facilities constructed. Until 2010, there will be 5000 jobs and similar number of students as well as 14 000 inhabitants of the residential neighbourhood. Also thanks to the investment of 150 mil. Euro, the former countryside surrounding of Helsinki has developed into the “Silicon Valley” of biotechnology.
| Source: |
Ing. arch. Jaroslav Coplák, PhD., Faculty of Architecture STU Bratislava |
Obsah celého čísla -
október/november 2006
Prečítajte si celé číslo novín Development Press vo formáte pdf
(budete presmerovaný na internetové sídlo novín)
Sekciu pripravujeme v spolupráci s MEDIA DIRECT, s.r.o., vydavateľom novín Development Press.
(Periodicita novín je dvojmesačná z dôvodu charakteru informácií publikovaných v novinách)
Zverejnené články je zakázané kopírovať, šíriť, upravovať, pozmenovať, publikovať bez predchádzajúceho písomného súhlasu autora článku, ktorý plne zodpovedá za obsah a pravdivosť poskytnutých informácií.
Áno
Menové kurzy ECB
Ďalšie zaujímavé správy
Správy v anglickom jazyku