Managing material streams on a narrow plot in the middle of the city is one of the challenges of the Oodi worksite. When dozens of loads arrive on the site every day, a frequently heard question is ‘where should we put these?’ The site’s wonder woman, Heidi Järvensivu, i.e. the site manager in charge of logistics, knows the answer. She adapts her instructions to the worksite’s situation: where the goods are needed, how soon  they will be needed and where there is enough space for them. The loads are taken to their correct spots in the yard or directly to the right blocks on the different floors.

“I have to always be one step ahead of the construction and consider logistics a few days in advance. I have to stay on top of the loads, building schedule and building layout at the same time. My goal is for the goods to only be moved once; they should be taken to the correct place right away,” Heidi says, with her 10 years of logistics experience backing her up.

Because there is a street on the eastern side of the building, only the western side can be used for storing goods. A small part of Kansalaistori square is also utilised as storage space. In October, one of the loads that arrived contained a large shipment of bricks for the brickwork of the rooms. They are shown as the white pile in the middle of the lower part of the photo. Space is needed for many different goods, such as timber and pipes, ventilation and electrics installation equipment and, more and more, for the facade windows.

Heidi Järvensivu greets the drivers at the different gates. In addition to drivers bringing in loads, she gives driving instructions to drivers of, for example, concrete mixer trucks and pump trucks, as well as various crane and lifting vehicles. Heidi has grown into her position through experience, and she is a great example of entrepreneurship and problem solving.

“For years, I worked as a transport coordinator and after that as a construction painter and tiler. I noticed the same problem on many different worksites: goods were left waiting in the wrong places, communications did not work and no one managed the logistics. I decided to set up a business in the field myself and found another female entrepreneur as my partner. Local Logistics offers logistic and worksite services, which also include waste management coordination and worksite supervision. On the Oodi worksite, we work under the main developer, YIT.”

Oodi has an unusual shape, not only with regard to construction but also from the perspective of logistics. The public balcony restricts lifting of the goods, and there is a long distance between the north and south ends. It is not possible to store goods in front of the building, as the area must be kept clear for various vehicles and cranes. At this stage, the public balcony is waiting for surface concrete casting. The casting of the second-floor seating area seen behind the balcony has been completed, and the scaffolding that has supported the area has been taken down.

A freight elevator was installed at the southern end of the building in October, making it easier to transport goods to the different floors. The elevator will become more and more crucial as the facade is closed during the construction work’s progress.

Only insulation needed on the roof

The short-term objective is to insulate the building and keep its temperature above zero. In many places, expanded polystyrene insulation sheets are used in place of walls. They tolerate moisture well and act as excellent thermal insulation.

The EPS foam sheets are also used as walls on the third floor, although they will later be replaced by floor-to-ceiling windows. The third floor is reserved for books. It looks more closed off now, as the elements of the roof have been installed along the entire building.

The Oodi roof has a low ridge, and on both sides of it the roof rises and falls like waves. The curving forms were built using cut-to-shape elements nearly a metre thick. YIT’s site manager Mansoor Ardam supervised the installation work on the bitumen membrane insulation at the end of October.

The waves and ridges of the roof as well as its several skylights made the membrane installation process challenging. The membrane is attached to the surface by heating it with a gas burner.

Facade windows follow the curves of the roof

The wavy form of the roof also affects the measurements of the third-floor facade windows. Their height varies, following the rising and falling shape of the roof. The tallest, over nine-metre high windows will be installed in the eastern and western facades. They will be assembled from several elements.

“The installation work will begin from the building’s northern end. We have acquired special equipment for the lifting work, and the suction cups needed were manufactured in Italy. One, a couple of metres tall and similarly wide glass weighs a little over 1,000 kilos. From the north, the installation work will progress to the east wall,” says Mansoor Ardam.

The windows will be installed into the steel slots shown at the bottom of the photo. Estonian firm Windoor AS will both manufacture the windows and procure the printed pattern for them. The new library could not have more wonderful surroundings: the northern windows have a view of the Finlandia Hall and its park.

The window installation work on the second floor has progressed a little faster. The lined windows were installed in the northern wall in October. The installation of the walls’ thermal insulation progressed quickly from the northern end to the eastern wall. The work there has been completed and will next move towards the south.

Text and pictures: Liisa Joensuu/Tmi Magic Words

In November, the lifting of the facade windows of Oodi’s upper floor into place was started using a suction lifter, which was custom-made for the library worksite. One heavy, multi-floor glass window after another, the device latched onto the windows and lifted them to the northern end of the building, where the installation work was started.

The manufacturer and installer of the windows, Estonia-based Windoor AS, commissioned the lifting equipment from Italy in order to ensure that the windows, each weighing about as much as a car, could be installed steadily and safely. When a 1,000–1,500 kilo, fragile object with a slippery surface is hanging above the ground, there is no room for even the smallest of slips. Photo: Mansoor Ardam.

“When installing the windows, we will proceed systematically, one block and one side at a time. From the northern end, the installation will continue towards the eastern side, where the lined windows have already mostly been installed,” says Tero Seppänen, YIT’s senior site manager (left).

The lined windows are a relatively standard construction element, but the third-floor facade windows are, both in size and with regard to the installation method, the most exceptional Tero Seppänen and site manager Mansoor Ardam (right) have faced during their careers.

At the northern end, the glass wall is nearly eight metres tall, and at the western and eastern sides it reaches its peak height: over nine metres. A solid glass layer will also be installed above the large surface glass layer in order to cover the eaves. The entire work phase, including puttying, will last until late spring.

“Puttying requires very specific conditions, since the surfaces to be treated cannot be damp. The work is mostly carried out when the weather permits or under weather protection. We are currently considering our options. We will also carry out tests and confirm the quality of the seams by sending test samples to the putty manufacturer,” Seppänen and Ardam explain.

During the initial installation stage, the individual glass sheets will remain in place thanks to mechanical attachment parts. The 16 suction cups of the special lifter will hold the glass up until it can be attached. At the next stage, the seams will be made water-tight and structural seaming of the corners will be carried out. Photo: Mansoor Ardam.

The surface windows will be supported on glass pillars that, in turn, have been fitted into steel slots. The Finnish weather conditions have been taken into account in the surface window’s structure and pattern: The multilayer window conserves heat in the winter and the printed pattern lessens the direct sun glare in the summer.

The upper part of the windows is solid and white, but towards the lower part it becomes dotted, imitating falling snow. The pattern thins out gradually and the lower part of the glass is clear and transparent. Worksite manager Mansoor Ardam points at the snowfall print. He has made a computer tool that allows for control and monitoring of the installation.

The skylights have also been installed into their octagonal niches, and the roof’s insulation work has been completed. The insulation board walls on the third floor will be replaced by glass one by one, drastically changing the appearance of the entire space.

Customer-friendly solutions

The northern end also features a special window design on the ground level; a small entrance hall to the family library and a storage space for prams will soon be built behind the triangle-shaped window. The needs of children have been carefully considered when planning the space, as the family library will also feature a small kitchen and a space for eating snacks.

The northern entrance is also an easy way to reach the cinema’s foyer, the meeting and public spaces and the café-restaurant. The vehicle entrance to the underground premises is located next to the entrance hall.

Building technology work is constantly progressing in the different blocks and more and more partition walls are being built. Here, workers can be seen consulting electrification plans.

The balcony was put through a pressure test

A pressure test was carried out for the balcony in late November. Its purpose was to discover any possible leaks before the concrete slab casting taking place in December.

“The drains on the balcony were sealed and 200 millilitres of water was conducted onto the surface in order to discover the spots that needed to be made water-tight. The joints and seams of drains and pipes were also tested separately. The surface cannot be cast until the structure is water-tight. A wooden structure will later be built on the concrete slab,” Tero Seppänen explains.

On the western side of the building, the insulation work for the building’s base as well as land construction work were carried out in late November. A concrete slab will be cast along the building’s wall and will be covered by the final paving.

Site manager has no fear of the square and cubic metres

The main contractor YIT has received some reinforcements. Hannu Heikkinen, originally from Rovaniemi but now enjoying his fifth year in the south, is in charge of the building technology and its coordination. The electrical power engineer has worked in the real estate field for 35 years, and has been involved in the construction of residential and office buildings, production premises and the office building of a mine in the north, but Oodi is turning into the largest worksite in his entire career.

“The size of this project does not intimidate me, since it’s all about teamwork. Coordinating the interfaces between the different building technology operators can be challenging, but it becomes easier when you work with team players,” says Heikkinen, who, in his spare time, takes part in moose hunts and also acts as a trainer at the National Defence Training Association of Finland.

Text and photos: Liisa Joensuu/Tmi Magic Words

If Oodi only contained books, electrical installations would be simple. But this public living room offers its guests many special premises, from a cinema to studios, which makes electrical design and installations more challenging.

“The varying shapes of the spaces also bring added challenge: each space requires a specific approach. The plan can make things look simple, but they can be a great deal more demanding in practice,” says Janne Valtonen (left), the foreman of the electricians, and Seppo Kautto (right), project manager from ARE.

Work is also made more challenging by the fact that most Oodi premises do not have the suspended ceiling structure that hides the technology. Installations are left uncovered, which is why they must be made as neatly as possible. Electrician Ari Davidila installed the black cable racks on the second floor ceiling in December.

The cinema and studios are especially challenging spaces for electricity works. Their soundproofing requires unusual solutions for the inlets of electric cables.

“The cables can’t be installed as a bundle, we have to take them through the structures one by one, like wide-spread fingers, and soundproof them individually with the paste. In addition to this, we need to follow the acoustician’s specific instructions,” says Seppo Kautto.

Due to the soundproofing, the cinema and studio premises (pictured) will be equipped with a floating floor. The red Sylomer sound absorption mat has been installed on the concrete podiums. Its purpose is to separate the overlaying surface floor from the frame structure, absorbing the studio noise and preventing noise from carrying to or from the premises.

The Living Lab with its presentation technology is also counted as a special premise.

“Special electrical inputs are needed both for projectors and the room’s glass walls that can be darkened or opened electrically with a light,” says Janne Valtonen, explaining that the building’s electrical works are in their early stages.

“Even though the basement is 60–70% complete, only about 10% of the work on the second floor is ready. We are just getting started.”

The library will take up dozens of kilometres of electric cables Some of them can be hidden under the installation floor. The installation floor stands on its own feet and it will be installed over the concrete floor so that the technology is hidden between these two layers. This makes it easy to access the cables even after the building is fully completed.

Scale model of the suspended ceiling on the third floor

Unlike on other floors, the top floor of Oodi will be equipped with a suspended ceiling. The structure will be so unique that a scale model will be made of it at first.

A computer image shows the unusual, wavy form of the ceiling and the locations of the ceiling windows. The making of the approximately 6-metre-long scale model will begin after Epiphany, and an approval from the architecture agency will be sought for it before starting the construction of the actual ceiling.

The third floor is becoming a glorious kingdom of books and light. The green bars depict the future bookshelves. Light will flow in through both the wall-high facade windows and the ceiling lights. It has been decided that the pasting work of the facade windows will be carried out under weather protection. The protective cover will be installed before Christmas and the work will be started from the northern end. The space for the large steel spiral staircase is featured on the left. The stairs will be delivered to the site at the beginning of the year.

Unisex toilet in the basement

When a building houses a cinema and a restaurant as well as meeting and working premises, it also has to have enough toilet facilities. These requirements have been taken into account in the plans.

Toilets are available on every floor, but the primary public toilet facilities are in the basement. The toilet facilities have not been divided based on gender, which means that they are unisex toilets. Visitors can access the basement both on lifts and by the concrete spiral staircase. The spiral of the staircase is almost a work of art on its own.

There are over 20 toilet cubicles in the basement, so the lines should not be too long. The sinks and seats will be installed after the floor is cast. It was completed in mid-December. The facilities have underfloor heating, which keeps the moisture levels in check.

Cleaning up the facade

The installation of the facade elements was started on the western side of the building in December.

Before starting the installation, a few element supports were modified by welding them. The steel constructions are equipped with mounts for the elements, so the elements are quick to install.

One element at a time is lifted on its supports with the help of a frame such as this. The elements will be later equipped with wooden framing to ensure that air circulates well behind the final wood cladding.

The facade will be covered similar to the pictured northern end. The 280-mm-thick ready-made elements will be covered by the wood cladding and they act as thermal insulation and vapour barrier.

New generation of worksite management

Work site managers are sought-after people on different worksites, and a new work site manager intern has also been found for Oodi: Jarno Silén, student of production management of building technology from Häme University of Applied Sciences.

“I have been interested in building and making things by hand ever since I was a child, following in the footsteps of my father and uncle. Oodi is an interesting site. I will learn a lot here,” Jarmo said on his first day of work.

Text and photos: Liisa Joensuu/Tmi Magic Words

The facade windows of the upper floor of Oodi have been lifted into place in the eastern wall of the building, facing the sunrise in the morning. Even though bright mornings are still some way away, the floor-to-ceiling high windows are a delightful sight amidst the greyness of early winter.

In the photo, manlifts are used in the dismantling of EPS boards, which were used as wall structures that insulated the building and protected it against wind before the windows were installed into their mechanical fittings. The windows will not be visible for very long on the Töölönlahdenkatu side, since when seaming work starts, the eastern wall will be covered by scaffolding and weather guards.

At this stage, the weather guard is covering the northern end of the building. The windows will be sealed both from inside and outside, and the weather guard will ensure suitable temperatures above freezing point and dry conditions.

The curving forms of the Oodi facade are starting to emerge now that some of the facade elements have been lifted into their fittings on the building’s western side. Later on, the elements will be covered with wooden framing, to which the final surface material will be attached. The balcony is located on the outward leaning wall.

The weather guard continues up to the roof, as work on the eaves is also taking place behind it. Site manager Mansoor Ardam inspects the seaming work on the windows. A seam can only be approved if it is straight and shows no signs of additional notches. The elastic mass adheres best to a dry, clean surface.

At the end on January, the worksite prepared for the installation of the third-floor facade windows on the sunset side too, on the building’s western facade. At first, glass pillars that support the surface windows were installed. When the glass pillars are tightly attached to their steel fittings, the up to nine-metre tall and 1,500 kilo multi-floor windows can be lifted in place with the help of a suction cup lift.

Heaters will be hidden from view

In the midst of the freezing winter, the average person may wonder how the aquarium-like third floor can be kept warm, when all the walls are made of glass, from the floor to the ceiling. The professionals have come up with a perfect solution, which also happens to be an aesthetic one too. No water-filled radiators will be installed in front of the windows so that they do not break the visual cohesion of the glass walls.

“The space is heated by narrow convectors installed under the installation floor that blow warm air at the lower edge of the glass,” Mansoor Ardam explains, showing how the draught-prevention solution will be built in front of the windows. The technology will be installed on the concrete floor, which will be covered with an installation floor. A library user can step right up to the windows without having to dodge the radiators.

In the computer modelling, the convectors are shown as the low red blocks below the windows. A great deal of building technology will be hidden between the roof and the suspended ceiling on the third floor: the ventilation pipeline is show in green, the sprinkler system in turquoise and the electric cables in purple. Only the sprinkler nozzles will be visible after the third floor’s wavy suspended ceiling has been installed.

The suspended ceiling, which is shown in the image as the neon green structure, will be installed at a notably low level compared to the height of the ceiling, due to the large amount of building technology. A maintenance bridge will be fitted over it, for example, and its installation work is now starting.

Partition walls reveal the room structure

Whilst the third floor is an open space, the second floor is filled in with different rooms. Their walls will be built based on the room’s purpose of use, either from glass, bricks or gypsum board. Right now, the gypsum walls are being built at a quick pace.

About half of the second floor gypsum walls have been finished. The corridor in the photo leads to the game rooms. The second floor brings the traditional library institution into a new era. It will house two general recording and editing rooms, a photography and video studio, a room for playing instruments, a control room, a drum room, offices, meeting rooms, a media room and rooms for small groups. In addition to the building of partition walls, acoustic insulation wool is being installed and gypsum boards are being painted and plastered on the second floor.

Worksite mornings are kick-started with stick workouts

In relation to work life, how the older generation teaches the younger ones and passes on so-called silent knowledge is a common topic of discussion. However, the younger generations can also teach the older ones and introduce something completely new to their work life.

At the Oodi worksite, mornings are now started with stick workout at 7 o’clock! Stretching and squatting for a few minutes gets blood pumping and warms up the muscles. This habit increases occupational health and safety. The exercises make reactions and coordination abilities quicker and help maintain balance better. Over a dozen people may take part in the classes. Photo: Anniina Kallioniemi.

The exercises are guided by 23-year-old Essi Tuomenoja, recently graduated construction supervisor and YIT’s site manager.

“Even though the workers were at first hesitant about the exercises, in the end they even built the exercise sticks, i.e. broomsticks, their own transport crate with a sling attached,” she says.

Essi graduated as construction supervisor from Häme University of Applied Sciences, and before Oodi worksite, she worked at six different sites. She finds it fascinating that each project creates a monument, whether it is an industrial hall or a library.

Text and photos: Liisa Joensuu/Tmi Magic Words

The sky was the limit, when the spiral staircase bringing together the three upper floors of Oodi was majestically lifted into place in February. The stairs were lowered calmly, one part at a time, through a hole made in the roof, and suspended from the cables of a telescopic boom. Putting the stairs in place is one of the milestones of the construction process.

The stairs arrived to the site as a special transportation consignment in ten separate blocks. The finished staircase comprises two spirals, A staircase and B staircase, which diverge from each other. The total weight of the steel staircase is 80 tonnes. The stairs were manufactured by Normek Oy, as were the steel arches supporting the entire library.

In the photo, the first section of the stairs on the entrance floor is already in place and a cable is being used to pull the next part to the correct angle for welding. During construction, a massive hole was left between the floors, but the roof had to be reopened for the event.

“We built a weather guard on the roof above the stairs and removed the roof element. When the last part of the staircase has been lowered in place, the element will be closed and re-seamed. On the different floors, the staircase area is protected with EPS insulation boards to preserve heat while the roof is open,” says Worksite Manager Mansoor Ardam.

For customers with mobility issues, there are alternatives to the stairs: escalator and lifts. The frame of the escalator was also installed in February. The technology, railings and steps are still to be installed and, later on, adjustments and test runs will be performed. Installation of the lifts is also underway.

The shape of the suspended ceiling reveals the new shape of the skylights

A scale model has been installed in the suspended ceiling of the third floor, where the actual books will reside. The scale model helps those involved in the project study how the suspended ceiling can achieve a beautiful, wavy shape and how the skylights can be used to build a set of simple, yet elegant, light shafts.

The skylights were originally octagonal in shape, but as the scale model has been built they have gradually become round light shafts. The ceiling will be white and seamless and appear as if it is being sucked into the skylights. Due to the wavy form of the ceiling, both the ceiling and the skylight are positioned lower in some parts of the third floor and higher in others.

The light shafts will be built into vertical frames, as shown in the photo above. First, acoustic mineral wool will be placed into the frame. It will be covered with sprayable MonoRoc insulating plaster. This is a thick plaster, which helps soundproof the premises, repels water and is also energy-efficient. The base plaster will be later covered by a smoother, sprayed coating. Thanks to this method, the suspended ceiling will look like a solid rock ceiling.

The construction of the children’s section and its balcony at the northern end of the third floor is progressing quickly. Less than a year from now, story times will be held under the balcony!

The window installations in the library and the windows’ seaming work proceed on the eastern side of the building as the weather permits. The freezing temperatures of February have not disrupted the lifting of the glass panels into place in the mechanical fasteners, but seaming work requires a more temperate climate.

On the balcony side, i.e. the western side, over half of the windows have already been fitted into their mechanical fasteners. In the photo, workers are preparing to move a glass panel from the pallet by attaching it to the suction cup lift.

Not all the colours of the rainbow

According to an old Finnish nursery rhyme, a painter paints the house red and blue. Specialist painter Pasi Kalliokoski from Lainisalo Rakennusmaalaus Oy has to settle for black and white.

“In addition to black and white, the library’s colour landscape will include veneer surfaces. The furniture will add the colour. The ceilings and the ceiling channels have been painted black and so have the elements between ceilings and walls The walls themselves will not be painted much, since they will be covered with acoustic and veneer panelling. A few of the walls will be white. Black and white are standard colours in public premises, whereas other colours, structure surfaces and wallpapers are often used in commercial premises,” Pasi said before hopping into the man-lift and beginning the filling work on the structure below the suspended ceiling.

Carpenter Marto Jaakson was busy with building the socle of the second-floor wall separating the office spaces. Glass windows will be fitted along the corridor. Marto has been working on the library site for a year, and his work on the socle is going quickly.

The other carpenters are busy in the sitting area on the second floor, building its wooden frame. Within a few months, this area will be made into an inviting lounge and reading area.

More experience on the worksite

The newest site manager of the library worksite has plenty of experience to share. Jorma Pelkonen, 60, came to Oodi from an office building site in Kalasatama.

“Oodi, with its special structural solutions, is a significantly more challenging site than an office building I’m in charge of tiling, for example, and even the large toilet facilities in the basement are exceptional. Impressive, three centimetre thick limestone plates will be used as a visual element, attached to the walls with steel pegs.”

Jorma has been involved in the construction of apartments, offices, a hotel and even a railway tunnel. This list of references will be complemented with the central library before Jorma’s retirement at 63.

Text and photos: Liisa Joensuu, Tmi Magic Words

Sparks, flames and smoke. All of these have been a common sight along the steel spiral staircase of Oodi in recent weeks. Extensive welding work is in progress, as the stairs, which were delivered to the site as 10 separate blocks, will now be attached together with thick welded seams. The seams, visible as dark vertical lines on the white railing, will of course be covered with paint. At this time next year, the library customers will be using the stairs without a hitch, moving from the lobby up to the third floor.

The spiral staircase of Oodi is both impressive and structurally unique. The complex consists of two spirals, which resemble the structure of DNA. It seems like this structure is hanging in mid-air, as it does not seem to have any support at the bottom and there is no support pillar in the middle. This magic trick will be accomplished by supporting the stair complex through the structures of the floor slabs.

“During welding, we are still using temporary supports, but after they are removed the staircase will be supported by the floor slabs. In part, this solution increases the frame’s load, which will grow further when the stairs are used by the library customers. We have taken the pressure and movements of the building into account: some seams allowing movement have been left in the library structures,” says YIT’s site manager, Janne Kurikka.

Proof of excellent work planning is the fact that the entire stairwell has been protected with tarpaulins from the bottom to the top, forming a tent. This means that the assembly work and the particles generated by welding do not disturb those working close by and the odour also stays in the tent around the stairwell. The goal is to complete the welding work by the beginning of April.

Facade will be clad with spruce

In April, Oodi’s appearance will start to change visibly. There are two reasons for this: the entrance floor will receive its facade windows and the outer surfaces’ final cladding work will be started.

The main entrance area, with its curving shapes, is a challenging area for cladding. Whereas straighter walls are quick to clad using elements, curving surfaces as well as the edges of various holes and gaps have to be covered using individual pieces. On the eastern side of the building, wooden cladding will be accompanied with aluminium plates.

Spruce was selected as the material of the wood cladding, says Site Manager Janne Kurikka, who is in charge of the frame and the facade. In the photo, he is holding a model piece of the cladding.

“The cladding consists of laths, but viewed from afar the surface will seem like a smooth wooden surface. Before starting the installation, the material will go through fire testing. A batch of wood treated with fireproofing paint will be exposed to open flame, and during the test we will monitor how well the protective paint stops the wood from charring. The protection must meet certain determined values. In the future, the facade will be treated with the fireproofing paint about every fourth year.”

Janne is also personally familiar with wood construction. A while ago, he finished his own, a little under 250-square metre wooden house in Porvoo. Janne, a 33-year-old civil engineer, acted as both the project’s architect and principal designer and also worked as a constructor. His three children and five cats now have plenty of space for roaming and playing!

Cables will be covered with an installation floor

 At this stage, the second floor in particular reveals the library’s ‘nerves and veins’ i.e. all the building technology that will be hidden behind walls or covered with an installation floor.

The library will feature a restaurant and two cafés, but the users of the small group working rooms on the second floor will also have their own kitchen. Its electric lines and sprinkler system pipes will soon be covered with an installation floor. The lighting installations on the second floor are also progressing well. The work must be finished before installing the installation floor, as it is not able to bear the weight of the scissor lift.

The woodwork of the arching staircase, intended for reading and working, is almost finished. After mid-March, plywood covers were put in place, and in the next stage the staircase will be covered with grey textile carpet.

Third floor waiting for its suspended ceiling

The children’s area in the northern end of the third floor is being prepared for the installation of the white, curving suspended ceiling. The model piece installed in the middle of the third floor in the beginning of the year has been approved and the work will proceed based on the experiences of its installation.

Currently, the ceiling of the children’s area is covered with hanging steel poles of various lengths, which will later hold the suspended ceiling. Gradually, it will cover the ceiling’s ventilation pipes and maintenance bridge.

After the indoor works start, the third floor’s large windows will be protected from scratches and dirt. The windows will be covered with a film to protect them from dust and their bottom halves will be covered with EPS boards. This allows work to proceed with less risk of damage occurring.

Worksite humour in bloom in Oodi

At this stage, indoor works require the use devices intended for working with timber and plywood, which means that the song of a circular saw, for example, is a frequent thing. The amount of sawdust could be staggering, but it is controlled with special sawing premises situated on the different floors, which are tents with a door that can be closed during the work.

Work goes quicker with some humour and laughter. A subcontractor has named their sawing tent their VIP premises.

The worksite is full of rules, but sometimes a little humour can be added, even in serious matters.

Text and photos: Liisa Joensuu/Tmi Magic Words

The sounds from the construction site quieted down, and Oodi became filled with joyful guests when the building held its very first celebration – a topping out ceremony – on 22 May. The building and its builders were praised profusely, first by Helsinki’s Deputy Mayor Nasima Razmyar in her opening speech, then by others in their orations and finally through the reactions of residents when the public was able to visit the building for the first time on guided tours.

Deputy Mayor Nasima Razmyar pointed out how rare it is to be able to build in such a central location. Oodi joins the group of cultural buildings located in Töölönlahti, at the heart of Helsinki. The builders have left their mark in the history of Helsinki and Finland.

“Oodi will be built directly on the pages of history and the hearts of the citizens. This library is the beloved child of the Finnish nation and will have major significance for its citizens. It will also become a new attraction in Helsinki.”

In addition to numerous experts, the design was also contributed to by citizens. The building upholds equality, self-development and mental growth.”

“The residents of Helsinki have hoped for places of activity, learning and participation,” said Oodi’s Director Anna-Maria Soininvaara. The building will be full of life, as crowds will be drawn in by a multitude of events and event series, among other things. The building is expected to attract 10,000 visitors per day.

“Oodi will be a place for enriching ideas and thoughts and creating a new civil society. The building is one of the key projects of the 100th anniversary year of Finland’s independence.”

Soininvaara stated that the building was unique not only in terms of its functions but also in its shape and location. It has an exciting link to another building that represents democracy in the form of a balcony that reaches towards Parliament House.

“Where an invisible bridge exists between the balcony and Parliament House, a concrete bridge structure can be found inside Oodi. So we’ve all ended up under a bridge,” joked the City of Helsinki’s Director of Library Services Katri Vänttinen, who acted as the master of ceremonies at the event.

Quality and safety are now emphasised in a completely different way in construction sites than in past decades. According to YIT’s Senior Vice President of Business Premises Kari Alavillamo, this is because of tightened regulatory requirements, improved training in the construction industry and increasing attention being paid to monitoring at construction sites. Quality and safety have also been emphasised in the construction of Oodi.

“All honour to the builders. You can be proud of your work. Not many in the construction industry have the chance to carry out such a significant project. You have good reason to take professional pride in the fruits of your own labour.”

Site Manager Mansoor Ardam (on the left) from YIT and builders who only a moment ago were working on the third floor ceiling listened to the praise in high spirits while waiting to be served pea soup.

While the meal was being served, the guests had the opportunity to watch a time-lapse video of the building’s construction from the foundations to roof height, projected on the back wall. The long tables were set where a multipurpose hall would be built.

Mayor Jan Vapaavuori and writer, politician and movie director Jörn Donner engaged in a lively discussion while spooning up their pea soup. To the right from Donner are Oodi’s Director Anna-Maria Soininvaara and Cultural Director Tuula Haavisto of the City of Helsinki.

Writer, director, dramaturge and winner of the Finlandia Prize Juha Hurme even considered libraries to be a road to world peace and mankind’s salvation.

“Without libraries, mankind would be stuck in the Stone Age. Libraries have explosive transformative power. Oodi will be a place for different cultures to meet and is intended for both “the wise and the crazy”.You aren’t making just any building, Oodi is the flagship of Finnish libraries. Be proud of yourselves, for we are proud of you.”

Oodi’s future life as a versatile cultural institution was anticipated by an excerpt shown from a work called Metsä (Forest) by dancer and choreographer Hanna Brotherus, which included both dance and singing

Anna-Maria Soininvaara and Pirjo Lipasti (on the right), who works as the lead designer of Oodi at Helsinki City Library, watched the dance performance and enjoyed the pleasant mood together with Director Matti Lukkarila of the National Audiovisual Institute.

The music duo Kalevauva, which has seen a rapid rise in popularity, entertained the audience with funny lyrics that ranged in theme from a snoring cat to a baby-making campaign and living in Vantaa.

At the end of the event, YIT’s Senior Site Manager Tero Seppänen, Site Manager Mansoor Ardam and Deputy Mayor Nasima Razmyar exchanged a few words on the progress of the construction process and how the builders deserved the praise they had been given.

Tero Seppänen and Mansoor Ardam have made sure that the construction process has progressed according to plans and regulations and on schedule. Oodi is roughly 70 per cent finished. Much progress will take place over the course of the summer.

“In the summer, we’ll finish putting up the wood battens on the facade and start preparing the yard area. Inside, we’ll make progress on the floor, piping and electrical installations and the third floor ceiling,” says Seppänen.

Everyday routines continued immediately after the end of the party. Now we head for the next party, which will be held in December: the opening ceremony!

Text and photos: Liisa Joensuu/Tmi Magic Words

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We are ordering newspapers and magazines for Helsinki Central Library Oodi in August 2018. During the last few years Oodi has been designed together with the city’s residents so that it can best correspond with the wishes and needs that library users have.

Now we would like to know what newspapers and magazines we should have in Oodi. We use ideas and suggestions from our customers to help us make our decisions.

Please, take a moment to tell us what magazines you would like to read in Oodi!

Submit your suggestions here.

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As the opening ceremony in December approaches, both Oodi builders and the library staff are becoming increasingly busy. The entire staff of Oodi has been assigned to the library from the beginning of October onwards.

“We are now clarifying the job descriptions and carrying out training, which is focused on digital competence and self-directed teams. Currently, we are tendering the cleaning and security services. Planning the spring and summer events of the new library is already well underway,” says Anna-Maria Soininvaara, Director of Oodi.

Service Manager Sami Jyläs (left in the photo) is one of the assigned staff members. During the worksite tour in September, he was particularly impressed by the book heaven on the third floor, which had a wow factor.

Long days in two shifts

The schedule is tight and the workers on the site work in two shifts, up until midnight. For example, the builders of suspended ceilings and installation floors as well as the parquet fitters have worked in two shifts, according to YIT’s senior site manager Tero Seppänen.

“When the suspended ceilings have been finished, they will be equipped with safety lights and smoke alarms. The measurements and adjustments of the ventilation system are still under way. The largest separate work phase, i.e. cladding of the facade, is still ahead. It will start in October from the north end, continue to the eastern side of the building and then towards the south end. The western facade will be the last to be completed. It is the most challenging part, due to its shape,” says Tero Seppänen.

In total, 50 kilometres of the final cladding material, battening made of spruce, will be needed to cover Oodi’s facade. Even though the western facade will be the last to be completed, the cladding, in white, is mostly finished. The cladding materials will be delivered from the Timbeco factory in Estonia.

The idea of the facade’s cladding are laths cut to a T-shape and their installation method, which leaves a shadow gap between the lathes of the facade, as shown in the image. On the backside, the screws will be concealed so that their bases will not be visible. Timbeco delivers the facade cladding on the worksite as 1.2-metre-wide elements. In a week, 30 metres of cladding is installed.

In September, Oodi’s roof received its final surface, a white sheet, that further helps waterproof the building. Seen from above, the roof and the third floor’s “snow fall windows” give an impression of a building that is covered by a layer of snow. The street paving in the south end of the building is almost complete, and the foundations for flagpoles and bicycle stands were cast in the area in September.

Finishing touches on the floors

Even though the sounds of construction still carry throughout the building, there are fixtures and machines everywhere that hint at its opening. For example, the permanent fixtures of kitchens are in place, and the kitchen serving the first floor restaurant has received its equipment.

The dishes and warm snacks of Oodi’s restaurant will be prepared here. Stoves, soup kettles and ovens are just waiting to be connected. The second floor houses a smaller, more comfortable kitchen near the meeting facilities.

Inside the building, the work is now busiest in the entrance floor, where workers are installing the suspended ceiling and the tracks of the movable walls of the multi-purpose hall, for example. The hall is located on the eastern wall, opposite the spiral staircase.

The second floor is dedicated to work and hobby activities. The studios and audio-visual premises in the north end have been equipped with cork wall boards that help insulate sound. The steel pillars that characterise the floor have been covered with birch veneer. The so-called quiet room near the south end features a green wall that brings added comfort.

Shelving the books before the opening ceremony is one of the major challenges of Oodi’s staff. The shelves will be delivered to the “book heaven” on the third floor in October. They will come from Italy, as will their fitters. The north end of the floor is dedicated to children, and there is also a space for children under the loft.

One of the first fixtures to arrive was a bright orange, curving high-backed sofa that will be placed in the story room under the loft. This room is intended for some quiet relaxation. The activity space is located next to it.

In book heaven, customers can also enjoy coffee and small snacks. The café seats about 40 people, but during the summer, the Citizen’s Balcony offers more space for refreshing breaks. The frame of the sales counter was installed in September.

A first-grade view from the balcony

Oodi is one of the landmark buildings in Helsinki’s inner city, and its balcony also offers a perfect view of the unique environment.

Kansalaistori Square, Sanoma House, Kiasma and the Parliament House are all part of Oodi’s high-profile neighbourhood. The installation of the floor of the Citizen’s Balcony is about to start. The chosen material is Accoya made of pine, which is highly weather resistant and has good dimensional stability. The railing will be made of steel wire rope, resembling a web.

The balcony also offers a view of the Helsinki Music Centre, the National Museum of Finland, Finlandia Hall and Töölö Bay. In a few months, the yellow barracks of YIT will disappear, but Destia’s blue worksite base will remain for a while longer. Destia will be building Kansalaistori Square, Loru playground and Makasiinipuisto Park until July next year, when the Citizen’s Balcony will finally have a view also of the nearby park.

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The grand opening of Helsinki Central Library Oodi will be celebrated on 5 December 2018, on Independence Day eve. The programme of the grand opening is a unique journey into Finnish culture, nature and communal spirit. It is also an origin story of literacy, democracy and, by extension, Oodi. The festivities will continue on Independence Day, 6 December, with events designed especially for families with children.

Oodi will be opened to the public for the first time at 8 a.m. on Independence Day eve, 5 December. The opening day programme will start at 2 p.m. and continue until approximately 8.30 p.m. The programme will take place on the outdoor stage and the three floors of Oodi.

In addition to a welcoming address by the President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö, speeches will be given by Mayor Jan Vapaavuori, Deputy Mayor Nasima Razmyar and Director of Oodi Anna-Maria Soininvaara. Oodi will also be congratulated by its closest neighbours, Kiasma, Musiikkitalo and Sanoma House, which have all been involved in the planning of the grand opening programme.

The grand opening will feature two commissioned works: choreographer Hanna Brotherus’s Oodi metsälle (an ode to the forest) and accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen’s composition Ultra Organ for Oodi.

The core theme of Hanna Brotherus’s work is the forest: the growth of seeds to saplings, the journey trees make to become paper and books as well as the interaction between people and nature. The ‘Oodi metsälle’ work progresses from the outdoor stage to the three floors of Oodi depicting the birth of civilisation and literacy.

“The forest represents similar values to the library: the freedom to breathe and experience your own feelings and thoughts, but meeting other people, as well. This work comes from the love of life, art, civilisation and Helsinki,” says Hanna Brotherus.

The work features 207 performers altogether: professional dancers, elderly people from different parts of Helsinki, pupils from Kaisaniemi Comprehensive School, Lower stage, students from Kallio Upper Secondary School and Sibelius Upper Secondary School as well as the Sibelius Academy Chamber Choir conducted by Reijo Aittakumpu. Parts of the work featuring a smaller cast will also be performed on Independence Day.

Kimmo Pohjonen’s composition is based on the piece Ultra Organ, originally composed for the Kölner Philharmonie concert hall. Pohjonen’s goal, which took several years to accomplish, was to create a completely new instrument that could breathe new life into an organ with the help of an electronic accordion. This process resulted in electronic 21st century organ-accordion music. The arrangement for Oodi’s grand opening includes a boy soprano and the Sibelius Academy Chamber Choir. The Ultra Organ for Oodi composition is particularly special also due to the distance between the performers: the organ will be played in the Musiikkitalo Organo hall and the accordion a couple of hundred metres away on Oodi’s outdoor stage.

“This is a unique experience, which also carries symbolic meaning: in the work, Musiikkitalo greets its new neighbour, Oodi,” Kimmo Pohjonen says.

The organ will be played by the multitalented musician and improviser, church organist Mikko Helenius. The sound image of the work will also feature rhythmic textures woven out of melodies by Tuomas Norvio. Norvio was also a co-composer of the work, and Helenius worked with Pohjonen on the choir arrangement.

A house for literature and a versatile urban experience

Oodi is a house of literature and a versatile urban experience, which is also strongly reflected in the grand opening programme. The outdoor stage will be hosted by the Helsinki Book Fair programme director, writer and journalist Ronja Salmi. You will have a chance to see both the Finlandia Literary Prize winners for non-fiction and fiction and the winner of the Finlandia Literary Prize for fiction from 2017, Juha Hurme at the grand opening. Kari Korhonen, who has written and drawn Donald Duck comics, will also pay a visit to Oodi. In addition to this, the multilingual library and numerous publishers will be offering entertainment.

In addition to literature, Oodi will also be filled with music on its opening day, as the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra will greet Oodi from Musiikkitalo. The band Solju will also perform on the outdoor stage. Their music combines Sámi languages and chants sung by the Sámi people with new and innovative sounds. Kalevauva.fi, a modern band of troubadours whose lyrics are provided directly by the Finnish people on the vauva.fi online forum, will also be performing on the same stage.

The outdoor stage will also feature an excerpt of Teemu Mäki’s work Jouluevankeliumi (the gospel of Christmas), which will be premiered on 7 December at the Kiasma Theatre. During the opening festivities, you can participate in various workshops and learn more about the art exhibited in Oodi.

Family programme on Independence Day

The festivities will continue on Independence Day, 6 December, with events designed especially for families with children. Oodi will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come and enjoy theatre, music and plenty of children’s literature.

Over the course of the day, children will be entertained by Playground Loru, to be opened in connection with Oodi, Teater Tapir, the multilingual library and Children’s news by Helsingin Sanomat. The programme also includes children’s yoga, workshops and a dive into the world of improvisational tango.

On Independence Day, visitors will also be treated to Aleksis Kivi’s play ‘Kihlaus’ as envisioned by Nälkäteatteri. The music-filled ‘Hämärinkäinen’ show performed in cooperation with the OP Art Foundation features musicians using the highly valued musical instruments of the OP Art Foundation and singer/actor Anu Hälväas narrator. The virtual reality experience Inside Outside Finland showcases four Finnish artists and works of art in a unique environment.

Furthermore, the winner of the Juvenile Finlandia Literary Prize will give a greeting at Oodi, and publishers will be bringing along favourite writers and characters from children’s books. Guests include Miina Supinen, Kristiina Louhiand the new Tomppa book as well Jaana Kapari-Jatta, who translated the Harry Potter books into Finnish. Mr Clutterbuck and Tatu and Patu are also participating!

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The entire grand opening programme is available at www.oodihelsinki.fi/en/grand-opening.

We will be announcing more grand opening events later in November. Changes to the programme are possible.

Oodi’s grand opening on social media: #oodi #oodihelsinki #onneaoodi

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