Tikkurila Väritehdas district

Our proposal “Parklife won the shared first prize in the international invitational competition in the Tikkurila Väritehdas district. The proposal was made in collaboration with Architects Anttila & Rusanen.

“Parkilfe” was praised in the review for its visually rich urban vision. The overall architectural approach and the personal spirit created in the district were considered particularly meritorious. The plan creates a versatile urban structure around the historical core of Kuninkaala, linking to the industrial cultural history of the Tikkurila Väritehdas (paint factory).

The unique agricultural environment is a strong identity factor of the City of Vantaa. The Väritehdas district offers a unique opportunity to bring agriculture into urban Tikkurila in a modern way. Kuninkaala village and its surroundings form an excellent setting for an urban farm. The farm produces not only local food and raw materials, but also farming opportunities for city dwellers, horticulture and education. The farm produces intangible values by strengthening a down-to-earth lifestyle that supports locality and low carbon. It creates a foundation for the community of the area, bringing together residents, entrepreneurs and public sector operators around the farming culture. A unique urban farm in the capital region is also of interest to visitors from further afield. The operation of the farm is commercial.

The blue-green structure is based on the ecological corridor of Keravanjoki, the milieu of Kuninkaala village, and the trees and agricultural land preserved in the area. The starting point for the courtyards and public green areas that will be created in the area is the meeting of farming culture and the historical factory world. Fruit trees, field and box plantations, edible plants, flowering meadows and pastures form a combination that supports natural diversity and recreational values, which is part of Tikkurila’s green ring and City of Vantaa’s wider green network. The versatile blue-green structure balances the small climate of the area being built in stages and buffers urban floods. The area’s most important internal green connections connect Kuninkaala village, urban farm, Tehdasaukio and Keravanjokilaakso into one whole.