The cornerstone for the new student apartment building in the Aalto Village was set on Thursday 12th of October 2017 in Otaniemi, Espoo. The masons were the Mayor of Espoo, Jukka Mäkelä along with AYY&Hoas representatives. 262 new student apartments will be completed on the site of the old police academy by the start of 2019.
In November 2016, the ceremony for the removal of the cornerstone of the old police academy took place at Miestentie 2, with the police saying their farewells to Otaniemi. A year later, on Thursday 12th of October, the plot was a site to a historical event yet again. By 2019 the plot will hold 262 new student apartments.
Miestentie 2 is a joint project of the Aalto University Student Union (AYY) and the Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region (Hoas). The new construction will have 262 new student apartments, half of which will belong to Hoas and half to AYY. When complete, the building will increase the number of Hoas apartments in Otaniemi up to 686 apartments, bringing their entire apartment stock to 9530. AYY’s apartment stock will rise to 3000.
Regardless of chilly weather, the cornerstone ceremony was witnessed by a full tent of people from AYY, Hoas, the city of Espoo, architectural office Sarc and the construction firm Uusimaan Jatke. The party crowd was entertained by the world’s best technology student orchestra from Aalto University that plays newer French horn music, the Retuperä WBK, whose Hosemaster Leevi Letkutsalo hosted the event with commendable teekkari spirit.
In the opening speech the AYY Board Chairperson Joona Orpana thanked all cooperation partners, and said that he believes that the cornerstone ceremony also set a promise for the best student living in the world for future generations.
“Offering affordable and trustworthy housing for the study years is a critical factor in the international and ambitious student community,” Orpana said. “Several thousand students need to bear the burden of the housing queues, couches of friends or emergency housing when their studies start – quite a zero-sum investment for the changemakers of tomorrow to spring from. Now we finally take a stand against this.”
The second speech was held by Kim Lindholm, the Hoas facilities manager. He reminisced of the past in his speech: As little as 50 years ago the first Hoas housing was built to Otaniemi at the plots of the Technical University, when TKY’s own funds were not enough to facilitate the construction project. Now Hoas and AYY are equal partners in this new endeavor, creating strong cooperation.
Lindholm gave special thanks to the construction workers of the site: “Despite the storms of the fall season, heedless of rain, the workers toil away at the site and lend their efforts to the growing Otaniemi campus and its’ students. Their work means a lot more than a mere single construction job – they are a part of building the most important campus area in Finland.”
After the more serious speeches, the Espoo Mayor Jukka Mäkelä spared no humour. “Otaniemi is the poorest postal code area in Finland. In the spirit of Aalto’s gamechanger we could solve this by combining the postal codes of Otaniemi and Westend,” he said.
Mäkelä’s speech wasn’t merely jokes, however. According to him a world-class city like Espoo already has a world-class university and research. The building of the Aalto Village continues the tradition of trailblazing and creates new utopias of living. He finished off with one last joke: “Let’s hope we can all arrive to the roofing ceremony of this building with the West Metro.”
Last but not least, Letkumestari Letkutsalo presented the CEO of Jatke Uusimaa, Hannu Anttonen. “Without Jatke, we could not be here and pat each other on the back and focus on drinking bubbly”, he said. Anttonen started his speech traditionally: Not from ancient Romans but rather ancient Babylonians.
“The tradition of setting the cornerstone was born in ancient Babylon”, he told the audience. “Throughout history, the setting of the cornerstone has been believed to ward off demons, and the event has even seen human and animal sacrifice. Nowadays we gladly don’t believe in demons and nothing needs to be sacrificed, but the tradition of cooperation continues.”
Anttonen continued with the promise that Jatke will present 262 new apartments to AYY and Hoas by the turn of 2018 and 2019. “And we promise that we’ll accomplish it without any hiccups.”
Set inside the cornerstone, a tube was set with a letter to future generations, the day’s Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, the coins used in Finland and some student life-related paraphernalia from student magazine Aino and overall patches to a bottle of traditional alcohol.
This was followed by a glass of sparkling wine and much patting of backs, with RWBK providing the tunes.
Miestentie 2, Espoo
Employers: Aalto University Student Union AYY and Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region Hoas
Main contractor: Jatke Uusimaa OY
Architect: Arkkitehtitoimisto Sarc OY, architect Sarlotta Narjus
Electrical planning: Sähkösuunnittelu Elbox Oy, Matias Hyvönen
Building planning: RI-plan Oy, Jyri Laurinantti
LVIA-planning: Livair Or, Kari Ruottinen
Ground surveys: Severi Anttonen KY, Severi Anttonen
Photos and text: Katarina Vesikko, AYY’s communications officer