Closing the circle

Closing the Circle… or to come back at the beginning. To the landscape. To nature. Where everything started.
It doesn’t mean starting again. It means not forgetting where we come from, respecting the environment, taking advantage of what you already have and making it better, completing it, like when you close a circle.

We have a site which is an unique opportunity for integration between landscape and architecture. First of all we need to create continuity and new interest along the sea border. You should be able to experience the river and the sea closely. A path starting a circle is already there. We propose to close the circle, continue that path and take it into the sea. Back again into nature. You will be standing in the middle of the water facing a breathtaking view.

The path is also part of the new Arctic Museum. The Museum will be located inside the Green Line -Business center. A new skin will cover the whole block in a transparent “Skin” that will increase the volume of the building and create new public spaces between the “Skin” and the existing building. It will be connected with the circular path, extending the exhibition along the ring towards the Rajakaari area.

The Rajakaari area will be the center of the circle. It has to be an emblematic example of the relationship between man and nature. We propose to minimize the proposal inside the circle, keep the nature as it is and just use the area to show the effects of climate change.

We propose to relocate The Marina further North towards Tornionjoki river, where the variance in water level is lower and currents are softer. In its stead we project a set of big new steps that will make it easy to get closer to the sea.

Pedestrian paths and bicycle lanes will be continuous and follow the shore, connecting the area from side to side and also linking the new elements we propose in the scheme.

The square in the old town hall area will become a dynamic Urban Plaza regenerated with the new uses we propose for the existing buildings surrounding it, providing in each case the urban function that was missing. To ensure the influx of people to this public area we develop new commercial, residential and entertainment programmes around it. The area will work as a link between the new development and the old part of the city.

The new buildings that we propose will be a porous intervention that allows for a good level of sunlight and will have a lot of free space on the ground floor.