PROJECT OVERVIEW

Built at a former hospital complex in downtown Helsinki, Maria 01 is set to expand its internationally recognized startup campus by 50,000 square meters in a move that will attract over 4,000 new jobs to the area. The City of Helsinki held an open tender to find a developer for the project. A consortium led by YIT and Keva was selected from among seven candidates to develop the project. As part of the consortium Amerikka designed the commercial concept for the campus and coordinated the content production of the competition proposal. As the concept agency, Amerikka is involved in the design of the commercial services for the campus in addition to solutions supporting work-life and mobility.

GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT STARTUP PROJECT:

Expanding into one of Europe’s largest growth business campuses, the project’s aim is to bring together startups, growth companies, anchor companies, investors looking for potential future stars, accelerators, and R&D experts. The campus consists of an existing former hospital area with a new expansion due to be constructed. The new growth business campus will create a significant additional boost and attraction for the startup ecosystem, not only in Helsinki but also for Finland as a whole. This is not just a business premises project, but a new way to enable business collaboration and growth, and to enhance the already top-notch community in the Helsinki startup ecosystem.

DESIGN PROCESS:

Draft plans was completed in 2019, the expansion of the campus will started in 2020, and the first area will be taken in use in 2021.