VOCATIONAL COLLEGE LIVE, ESPOO
Ammattiopisto Live
Vocational College Live in Espoo is the largest special education institution in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It is located in the lively Turuntie district. This striking new building has a significant impact on the cityscape of Turuntie. Ceramic KeraShape® elements give the Vocational College its unique expression. They support the striking design of the architects.
The Vocational College Live in Espoo was planned and implemented by LINJA ARCHITECTS - one of the largest architectural firms in Finland. On 11,000 m², space was created here for the work of special education teachers. The shape of the building is aesthetically striking and imposing. In an aesthetic sense, it virtually crosses the rocky slope next to the Turuntie district. The solid mass follows the terrain, forming a sheltered inner courtyard. The shell-like façade on the south and west sides is designed with large ceramic elements. Even the windows visually disappear behind this visually defining element.
"The color palette and expression blend well with the surrounding green neighborhood. The Espoo City Planning Committee also liked the idea of the ceramic façade as a natural material," says architect Juha Kujanpää, Design Director of LINJA ARCHITECTS. The ceramic façade also performs a number of functional tasks: It filters sunlight that is reflected from the outside to the inside. To do this, it mixes it with the artificial light inside. This makes it easier for the partially visually impaired students to carry out their daily activities. The ceramic tubes of the façade also provide protection from too much sunlight, and they have a cooling effect. I
In total, 20,000 meters of KeraShape® moldings were used on the exterior façade of this project. In different colours (red, ochre and salmon red), they give the building an almost tangible plasticity and massive aesthetic presence for the observer. Paired with the natural wood on the facade of the inner courtyard side, the result is an organic overall appearance. Another special feature: while the wood will slowly grey out over the years - as the architects have planned - the colours of the façade ceramics will certainly remain.
