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On Friday 27 May 2016 on Otaniemi campus, the foundation stone for the new Väre building was laid in ceremonial style. A metal cylinder containing the University Charter, pictures, coins and the day’s newspapers, was deposited at the northern end of the building as a 'record for future generations'.

- The building will create the framework for new kinds of encounters. It weaves together our current activities and our future opportunities, said Aalto University President Tuula Teeri in her ceremonial speech.

- The new campus, now under construction, supports Aalto’s multidisciplinary agenda: science and art meet technology and business. The campus will also be accessible in a new way to different users and partners, Tuula Teeri continued.

The building will be ready in autumn 2018, when it will become the home of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The School's Dean, Anna Valtonen, was greatly pleased that the School will be brought together in one location, in place of the current situation with several spread-out locations.

- We will be together in one building – a building which is purpose-built and elegant. This will become a testing ground for how it is possible to operate and do work in truly new ways and forms. Finland needs different kinds of approaches and new solutions, Anna Valtonen summarised.

The largest user group for Väre will be, of course, the students of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Kalle Keinonen and Miia Suomela are glad that Aalto will finally be able to meet its promises of bringing together people from different academic fields. Students brought to the foundation-laying ceremony a cherry tree sapling which will later be planted in the area. Attendees at the ceremony had the opportunity to write down their hopes for the new building on a slip of paper, which were then attached to the branches of the tree.

The building has been designed by Vertas Architects, with Jussi Palva serving as chief designer. Verstas Architects' proposal 'Väre' won the international Campus2015 Architecture Competition in 2013. Connected to the new building will be the Aalto University Metro Station's main entrance and Metro Centre with its commercial services.

The Väre construction work is proceeding rapidly. Work began in October 2015 with the excavating, pile-driving, and foundation work. At the moment the building’s frame is going up, and in one section it has already reached rooftop height.

The building’s gross floor space totals 33 000m2, of which a full 7 000m2 comprises commercial space.

Dean Anna Valtonen commented that the new building symbolises Aalto University's original idea of multidisciplinary encounters.

Photos: Aalto University/Mikko Raskinen