This is not the first time JKMM has chosen copper for their projects. But if the facades of their library in the town of Seinäjoki are finished with panels of so-called oxidized copper, which has a deliberately "shabby" and quite modest appearance, then this time the architects preferred the flashy and "blazing" polished metal. So the objects are clearly visible even on Google Maps satellite imagery.
The construction site was allocated in the very center of the city, next to the historic brick station. The task of the architects was not only to create the infrastructure for intercity and local bus communication, but also to combine different types of transport into a convenient interchange hub. It will be the first step of the city authorities towards the formation of a modern district of mixed office and residential development.
To prevent the main structure - a bus terminal with a length of more than 60 m - from blocking the view of the station, it had to be slightly moved. For this, the flyover across Vesiyarvenkatu Street was widened, and an 80-meter tunnel was organized under it. Its outer parts are also finished with copper, and inside are used wavy aluminum panels, behind which a layer of sound insulation is hidden. You can go down into or out of the passage by steps or using three lifts. Their shafts are trimmed with copper mesh and placed in rectangular volumes, some of the edges of which are completely glass. In addition to the terminal, the mines and the passage, the project has installed three bus stops, several benches and lined with copper supports and fences of the bridge. The total area of the buildings is 11,000 m2.
All these shining structures look like expressive sculptural objects that successfully organize, “collect” the territory. To prevent the effect from disappearing even in the dark, the architects actively worked with light, integrating the lamps between the panels, hiding them behind perforated surfaces (including in the underground part) or completely "illuminating" the glass walls.
