22 11 2017

West Terminal 2 is Steel Structure of the Year 2017

West Terminal 2 in Helsinki's West Harbour has been awarded with the Steel Structure of the Year prize by the Finnish Constructional Steelwork Association from among nine shortlisted proposals.

The jury commended the design of the terminal building for its dynamism and clean, sculpted architectural lines, which makes it a striking landmark for the Jätkäsaari area as well as giving a good first impression to visitors arriving in Finland. The designers’ long experience in designing terminals is reflected in the functional and architectural clarity of the building. According to the jury's statement, steel and other metals have been used skillfully to implement the aesthetic goals and complex geometry of the design, particularly evident in the double-curved roof, slanted glass walls, taxi canopy structure and high arched ceiling of the departure lounge.

The successful outcome was achieved through close collaboration between the different design teams, using Trimble's Tekla Structures for structural modelling both in the planning and construction phase.

The Steel Structure of the Year award is a prestigious recognition granted annually to a building or structure that exhibits a high quality of architectural and structural design with particularly innovative and skillful use of steel.

Architectural design: PES-Architects / Tuomas Silvennoinen (chief architect), Pekka Mäkelä (project manager), Emanuel Lopes, Hanna Eskelinen

Client: Port of Helsinki
Main contractor: YIT Rakennus Oy
Structural design: Sweco Rakennetekniikka Oy
Steel frame and glass facades: Normek Oy

www.terasrakenneyhdistys.fi/terasrakennepalkinto  

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09 11 2017

West Terminal 2 awarded with the Finnish Lighting Award 2017 for interior lighting

The new West Terminal 2 in Helsinki’s West Harbour has received the Finnish Lighting Award (Vuoden valaistuskohde) 2017 for interior lighting design. According to the jury, the ferry terminal is an excellent example of the successful integration of architecture, functionality and lighting under an overall design concept through collaboration between different design fields. Functional lighting solutions serve to guide passengers throughout the terminal, and the wide window walls allow for the optimal use of natural light. In the departure lounge, lighting has been successfully integrated into the wood ceiling to create a soft and calm ambience. The jury included representatives from several lighting industry organisations as well as the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA and the Finnish Association of Interior Architects SIO. Congratulations to the winning team!

Client: Ari Parviainen, Port of Helsinki
Architecture: Tuomas Silvennoinen (chief designer) and Pekka Mäkelä, PES-Architects
Lighting design: Sanna Forsman and Matti Syrjälä, Granlund Oy
Electrical design: Tero Nieminen, Granlund Oy
Electricity contractor: LSK Group Oy  

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02 11 2017

West Terminal 2 extensively featured in Finnish architecture and trade magazines

The West Terminal 2 Tallinn ferry passenger terminal in Helsinki's West Harbour, completed in February 2017, has been extensively featured in Finnish architecture and construction industry magazines this autumn. In the latest Finnish Architectural Review, architect Roy Mänttäri praises the design for its functionality combined with magnificent sculptural forms and the calm harmony of the interior. ARK - Finnish Architectural Review 5/2017 (digital issue can be purchased online) Puu (Wood) 3/2017 (available online) Betoni (Concrete) 3/2017 (digital issue) Teräsrakenne (Steel Construction) 3/2017 (available online for members)  

30 09 2017

PES-Architects Shanghai moves into joint studio premises with AVARTE Shanghai

The PES-Architects Shanghai office has relocated to a joint studio space with Avarte Shanghai Showroom in Yangpu District Shanghai, near Tongji University, in September 2017. The aim of the move is to enable flexible use of our shared facilities, which also allows for the organisation of various exhibitions, workshops and lectures at the studio.

The first event was a joint lecture by Professor Yrjö Kukkapuro, founding partner of Avarte, and Professor Pekka Salminen, founding partner of PES-Architects, at the opening of the studio on 22 September 2017. Their topic was Finnish design and architecture in a Chinese context.

PES-Architects and Avarte Shanghai are both pioneers in exporting Finnish design to China. Pekka Salminen and Yrjö Kukkapuro also share a common history of long-term cooperation and friendship. The new studio will be a natural continuation to this cooperation, allowing Yrjö Kukkapuro's furniture and the architecture of Pekka Salminen and PES-Architects, alongside other Finnish design products, to be presented in a Finnish spirit in the same place.

Photo left to right: PES-Architects' Jarkko Salminen, Pekka Salminen, Jyri Eskola, Yan Peng.  

Press release

24 08 2017

Helsinki Airport new south pier officially opened

Helsinki Airport's new south pier was officially opened on 24 August 2017, with speakers including Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. PES-Architects was represented by chief designer Tuomas Silvennoinen.

The south pier is an extension of the non-Schengen area of Terminal 2 and caters particularly to the growing number Asian travellers, providing increased capacity and gates for wide-body aircraft. The architecture features open spaces filled with natural light, as well as elements of Finnish nature and design in the materials and furnishing. PES-Architects was responsible for both architectural and interior design, including fixed furniture. The first flights from the new wing took off on 10 July, soon after a successful deployment test with 200 volunteers acting as passengers.

Photo: Finavia  

11 08 2017

Pekka Salminen, founder of PES-Architects, turns 80 today

Professor Pekka Salminen, Architect SAFA , was born on 11 August 1937 in Tampere, Finland. He received his MSc in Architecture from the Helsinki University of Technology in 1966 and started his career at the offices of Aarne Ervi and Timo Penttilä. In 1968, Pekka Salminen established a private practice together with Esko Koivisto and Juhani Siivola. This became PES-Architects Ltd, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

Pekka Salminen's main works to date include the multiple expansions of the Helsinki Airport since 1987, the Skiing Centre and City Theatre in Lahti, Finland, the Marienkirche concert hall in Neubrandenburg, Germany, the Wuxi Grand Theatre in China, and the Strait Culture and Art Centre currently under construction in Fuzhou, China.  

10 07 2017

Helsinki Airport's new south wing due to open this month following successful test day

The new south extension of the current non-Schengen terminal will provide increased capacity and gates for wide-body aircraft as part of Helsinki Airport’s ongoing development programme to respond to growing traffic. Separate arrival and departure routes as well as the airport’s first moving walkway will ensure a smooth travel experience, while elements of nature and Finnish design in the interior will appeal to Asian visitors in particular.

To make sure that everything will run smoothly upon opening, a unique deployment test was arranged on 6 July with volunteers acting as passengers to test the functionality of the new wing from orientation to accessibility and boarding processes. The first results of the simulation were overwhelmingly positive, and the feedback and experiences will be used to put the finishing touches to the new wing before opening it to traffic this month. Photo: Finavia  

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09 07 2017

West Terminal 2 shortlisted for World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2017

The Port of Helsinki West Terminal 2 has been shortlisted for the prestigious World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards 2017 in the Transport - Completed Buildings category. PES-Architects will present the design to the WAF international judging panel and audience at the World Architecture Festival in Berlin on 15-17 November. Category winners will be announced the same day, and winners will go on to compete for the overall festival awards

The World Architecture Festival is an annual three-day event for architects and interior design professionals from all over the world. The WAF Awards are the world’s largest peer-reviewed architectural awards programme, with a record 924 entries from 68 countries received this year in 31 categories.

All WAF finalists: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/2017-shortlist  

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12 06 2017

PES-Architects’ excursion to China

At the end of May 2017, PES-Architects Finland’s entire staff of 70 people travelled to China to see some of our main projects across the country and visit our Shanghai office.

 

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23 05 2017

Business & Innovation Centre for China-Europe Cooperation (CCEC) opens at the Icon Yunduan Tower in Chengdu, China

The opening ceremony for the Business & Innovation Centre for China-Europe Cooperation was held on May 10 at the Icon Yunduan Tower, designed by PES-Architects (chief architect Tuomas Silvennoinen) in cooperation with China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute (CSWADI).

The centre, spanning some 210,000 m2 in total, is located in Chengdu's Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone and serves as a platform for trade, investment and technology cooperation between western China and Europe. The 192-metre high tower hosts display and transaction areas for European products and Chinese and European technologies. It is also home to a theatre, art gallery, concert hall as well as retail, office and residential premises.

  In the news: [China Daily]

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17 05 2017

The Hippos2020 project in Jyväskylä, Finland, moves forward to develop the area into the most versatile indoor sports and wellness cluster in the Nordic area

The existing Hippos sports facilities will be entirely replaced by new sports arenas and venues as well as facilities for sports research and a variety of health and wellness services. The area will also house a hotel, commercial spaces and residential building. The city plan for the area has been approved and the main investor will be chosen in autumn 2017 based on negotiations with respondents to the public tender concluded in May 2017. Construction is planned to begin in 2018. PES-Architects have been involved in the development process since 2015 and will continue further development of the design.

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28 03 2017

PES-Architects have submitted a competition proposal for the design of Shanghai Nine Trees Art Centre

PES-Architects have taken part in an international invited architecture competition for the design of the Shanghai Nine Trees Art Centre. The 62,000 m2 cultural development is situated in Fengxian, Shanghai, and features an arts complex with three theatre halls ranging from 200 to 1,400 seats, an art creation centre and exhibition spaces. The competition included building and masterplan design. The other invited companies were Arata Isozaki Architects (Japan), Studios Architects (USA), Woods Bagot (Australia), Kris Yao Artech (Taiwan) and L’Atelier Frédéric Rolland (France).

PES-Architects’ design was presented to the Fengxian New Town management committee by Professor Pekka Salminen and PES-Architects Shanghai on March 21st. Results of the competition are expected in April.

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Video

15 03 2017

PES-Architects win 2017 Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project award for Innovation for Sino-Finnish Cooperation Centre, Nanjing

PES-Architects have been awarded with the Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project special award for Innovation for the Sino-Finnish Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation Centre in Nanjing, China. The ARFP Awards celebrate excellence in unbuilt or incomplete projects. They are awarded annually in cooperation with MIPIM, the leading international property market, in Cannes.

ARFP jury: “This design combines cultural, technical and aesthetic considerations in an approach that marries art to the sustainable generation of energy in an architectural tour de force.”

PES-Architects’ Nanjing Sino-Finnish Economic and Culture Cooperation Centre won first prize in 2016 in an invited competition organised by the Nanjing Southern New Town construction development office with support from the Embassy of Finland in China and Finpro’s Beautiful Beijing programme.

The centre comprises a conference centre and design hotel, exhibition halls and showrooms, an office block and business hub as well as a Finnish-themed retail area, over a total floor area of 194,400 m². The overall design metaphor is ice – the massive ice blocks shaped by icebreakers or the pack ice formations that develop at sea in late winter.

The façades are clad with glass panels embedded with printed photovoltaic ice-crystal graphics, designed together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The panels provide shading while harvesting solar energy.

The ARFP winning projects are featured at the Innovation Forum at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. The award will be presented to Jarkko Salminen, CEO and Tuomas Silvennoinen, Design Director of PES-Architects, at the Future Projects Awards Dinner on 15 March 2017.

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The Architectural Review

27 02 2017

The new Helsinki West Harbour Terminal 2 (Länsiterminaali 2), designed by PES-Architects, opens to ferry traffic February 27!

The Port of Helsinki's new West Terminal 2 (Länsiterminaali 2), designed by Tuomas Silvennoinen of PES-Architects, opens to passengers on February 27. The spacious terminal will provide a smooth and comfortable travel experience for the majority of the 6-7 million passengers that travel between Helsinki and Tallinn each year. The design of the terminal emphasises ease of travel, with fast transitions to and from boats. The sleek, flowing lines of the building resemble a giant ray washed ashore. Inside the light-filled departure lounge, the wooden beamed ceiling provides warmth, while the tall glass walls open to a sweeping view of the sea and incoming and departing ferries. In summer, visitors can enjoy the wide seaside terrace. Many environmentally considerate solutions have been implemented, such as solar panels installed on the roofs of the boarding bridges to power the LED lights in the terminal. A state-of-the-art automooring system on one of the quays decreases ships' turnaround times and fuel consumption. The lead contractor was YIT Rakennus Oy, and the project was completed one month ahead of schedule and under budget.

Read more www.portofhelsinki.fi/english www.portofhelsinki.fi/finnish www.yle.fi

14 09 2016

PES-Architects win competition for the Nanjing Sino-Finnish Cooperation Centre

PES-Architects have won the architectural design competition for the Sino-Finnish Economic, Trade and Cultural Cooperation and Exchange Centre in Nanjing, China.

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09 09 2016

10th annual Architects’ Football Tournament

PES-Architects joined more than 18 other offices in the 10th Annual Architect’s Football Tournament- PES Invitational 2016. Founded by PES-Architect’s in 2007 the tournament has grown from some 5 offices, to the hugely successful and anticipated event it is now. Unfortunately, PES-Architects were not able to win this year, but we congratulate APRT+NRT and thank all those who played and helped to organise the event especially Heikki Riitahuhta and the sponsors.

15 12 2015

The Wuxi Xidong pedestrian bridge opened to the public in September

The inspiring and dynamic bridge is now in regular use by local residents and commuters passing through the area. The bridge is a slender cabled stayed bridge with bamboo paving and a smooth aluminium finish connecting the two plazas on either side of the central lake for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. In the centre the bridge gently slopes down and provides a connection to a man-made island garden.

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15 10 2015

The architectural competition of the The Royal Embassy Complex of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Bishkek – Kyrgyzstan

PES has been awarded Second Runner-Up Award for its entry in October 2015. Henning Larsen Architects from Denmark won the competition.

01 01 2015

Ring Rail Line (Kehärata) underground stations received ”Geofantti Award” for design excellence

The Geofantti Award was given to Main Designer Arttu Suomalainen of PES on 24th September 2015. The Geofantti Award is awarded each other year by the City of Helsinki for architecturally outstanding underground spaces that improve the vitality and pleasantness of urban spaces in the Greater Helsinki area.

15 09 2015

PESARK opens a new second office in Kalasatama, Helsinki

The 450 sqm Kalasatama office located on the top floor of a newly renovated open plan office building benefits from a ca 170 sqm terrace overlooking Teurastamo (”Butchery”) and with sea views.

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01 07 2015

“Work on Progress” New West Harbour passenger terminal, Helsinki

PES-Architects design for the new West Harbour ferry terminal is proceeding at full speed. The new terminal will concentrate on traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn and is expected to open in Spring 2017, when the new Tallink ferry will start to operate. The new terminal will be a state of the art design, tailor made to serve fast traffic between the two cities. The new terminal will create a focal point for the larger development of the west harbour.

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07 07 2015

“Work on Progress” Expansion of Helsinki Airport

PES-Architects are continuing to develop the architectural design for the expansion of Helsinki Airport (Finavia). The extension will be one of the largest construction projects in Finland and is expected to require an investment of ~400 milj. Euors until 2020. The project took a major step forward with the opening of Helsinki’s ring rail line, (Kehärata), PES-Architects designed the airport station and connection, along with other stations and infrastructure.
More information can be obtained from Finavia’s website: www.finavia.fi

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01 07 2015

Ring Rail (Kehärata) Line opened to passengers on 1st July 2015

PES-Architects has been involved in one of the most significant public transport projects in the Helsinki region for more than a decade. The Helsinki kehärata light rail line opened to passengers this week. The new line provides a fundamental link between Helsinki city centre, Helsinki Airport and the rest of Finland.

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25 05 2015

Naisten kymppi / Women's Fun Run 24 05 2015

Again this year a group of cheery ladies proudly presented PES-Architects in women’s running event “Naisten Kymppi” that took place in the heart of Helsinki. The ladies’ smiles before the jog were almost as joyous as they were after. The group ran under the title PESSIMISSIT.

This works well as the kickoff for the training for the upcoming yearly PES-Football Tournament in the autumn time.

23 01 2015

Helsinki Airport, Terminal Expansion, Client Finavia Oyj

PES-Architects have commenced the schematic design of a new terminal extension at Helsinki Airport, Finland. The ~70,000 m² enlargement will extend to the west of the existing terminal T2. Terminal extension will include new wide body plane gates for mainly Asian traffic. PES-Architects is constantly working on various alterations at Helsinki airport including new retail areas and security check area in terminal T2.

Finavian projektitoimistossa suunnitellaan Helsinki - Vantaan tulevaisuutta:
Video

16 01 2015

The Finnish Minister of Finance visits Chengdu Icon Yunduan

Last month during an extensive visit to China, involving a delegation from a broad range of Finnish companies, the Finnish Minister of Finance Mr Antti Rinne visited the construction site of Icon Yunduan in Chengdu.

Chief Architect Tuomas Silvennoinen was present to present the project to the delegation.

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