Stadtzentrum , Kouvola/ Finnland

Verfahrensart
Einladungswettbewerb mit 6 ausgewählte Teilnehmer aus 28 Arbeiten

Wettbewerbsaufgabe/Competition assignment
Kouvola is located in the south-eastern Finland and has about 88 000 inhabitants. Kouvola city centre was built near a crossroad in the railway between Helsinki and St. Petersburg metropolitan areas. The train trip from Helsinki to Kouvola takes about 1 hour 20 minutes and from St. Petersburg to Kouvola it takes about 2 h 20 min.
The competition was part of the Kouvola city centre vision project, which aims to reach more vibrant and cozy city centre and higher quality cityscape. Kouvola centre vision’s preliminary target was to develop the centre as a unique and high quality shopping district and a versatile area for leisure and entertainment events. Vision also focuses to increase population in the central area of town.
The competition was held as an invitation contest by the competition rules of Finnish Association of Architects SAFA. The jury consisted of the City of Kouvola officers, competition area real estate owners and representatives from Kouvola City Centre Association. The competition goal was to take the winning proposal as a basis for implementation planning and to give a commission for designing the city centre general plan to the winning team.
The competition was focused to find possibilities how Kouvola could strengthen the business and commercial life in the city centre. The competition organizer expected specific and feasible ideas for the competition area which property owners and other city centre operators could utilize. Competitors were also asked to explore new ways to diversify and increase commercial and leisure activities in the downtown. In addition, the aim was also to produce new comprehensive ideas for the pedestrian street Manski to improve comfort, quality and attractiveness.
The competition area consists of Kouvola downtown centre area, which includes pedestrian street Manski and the blocks which are in contact to it.
The competition area is 19 ha. The floor area of the buildings is 153 000 m2.
The retail spaces at ground and first floor are estimated at about 50 000 m2.
There are only 550 inhabitants on competition area. Currently Kouvola city centre has approximately 300 stores and other consumer service units.

Jury
Anna Brunow, Architektin
Jukka Posti · Hannu Luotonen · Hannu Tylli ·Harri Kivelä · Kari Jäkkö, Stadt Kouvola
Kaisa Kallio · Kiinteistö-Tapiola Oy · Juha Toivonen · Timo Kopponen · Antti Venermo · Domirita Oy, Real Estate Owners
Marja-Leena Monni · Jarkko Mikkola, Kouvola City Center Association

Weiterer Teilnehmer/Further participant
Pöyry Finland GmbH
Sami Lauritsalo · David Lehnort · Perttu Pulkka · Ivonne de la Guardia · Stefan Ochsner · Anna Kyyhkynen · Hannu Helkiö · Göran Erkisson · Matti Veijovuori · Pauli Kangasniemi · Laura Hietakorpi
Santasalo Ky
Katja Koskela

Weitere Teilnehmer / Further participants
Edifica GmbH
Ossi Andersson · Petteri Nikki · Jussi Mikkonen · Merja Tolvanen · Tuomas Santasalo · Kari Halonen

Arkkitehtitoimisto Harris-Kjisik GmbH
Prof. Trevor Harris · Prof. Hannu Kjisik · Charlotte Nyholm
Team: Sofia de Vocht · Hannu Louna · Annamari Löfgren
Niras GmbH · Trafix GmbH · WSP Finland GmbH
L.Arch.: WSP Finland GmbH, Liisa Ilveskorpi
Verkehr: Trafix GmbH, Jouni Ikäheimo
Fachberater: Niras Oy, Veera Luostarinen

Happimaa GmbH
Josée Courtemanche · Tero Helenius
Arkkitehtipalvelu Gmb Jyväskylä
Tero Wéman · Altti Suominen · Tuulikki Tikkanen · Tommi Luukkonen · Kari Haaja Facberater:Happimaa GmbH
Liisa Heino
Arkkitehtipalvelu GmbHJyväskylä
Pasi Widgren · Eva-Maria Ylönen, Architecture student

Weitere Information/Further information
www.kouvola.fi/ideakilpailu
www.kouvola.fi/keskustavisio