A win for a rooftop park in Finland

Maanlumo’s public park on the roof of the REDI shopping centre in Helsinki, Finland has been named the 2019 Environmental Structure of the Year.

Bryga, located in Kalasatama, the rapidly growing residential area built on a former industrial harbour was announced as the Betoniteollisus, KIVI and Puutarhaliitto’s award winner earlier this year.

The public park on the roof of the REDI shopping centre in Helsinki. Image credit - Mika Huisman/Decopic 

Built in 2018, the park forms a unanimous landscape with English Square and Kalasatama Park, integrating with the four courtyards of its surrounding high-rises. Bryga itself offers 0.7 hectares of green space, playgrounds, resting and picnic areas, and a sandy turf field bordered by trees and plantations.

Maanlumo’s concept is based on the natural landscape of the Helsinki archipelago, with the REDI shopping centre seen as an island with imaginary water flowing through the park between its rocks and vegetation. The meandering pathways of Bryga wind through small vegetation mounds, with stones surfaces resembling shore cliffs, highlighting the history of Kalasatama first as an archipelago and later as an industrial harbour.

The rooftop park was constructed in 2018. Image credit - Mika Huisman/Decopic 

Eleven 4.2-metre tall steel pergolas have mesh which forms a base for climber plants and offers protection from the wind. All of the park’s electrical infrastructure and lights are integrated into these pergolas, which artistically follow the movement of the wind, calmly transferring in a wave from one structure to the next.

Views of the park and the skyline of Helsinki can be seen from the west end of the park, and a small event square made of cobblestones and an asphalt mound provides activity space.

Two of the 11 4.2 metre steel pergolas which are a key part of the project. Image credit - Mika Huisman/Decopic.

Bryga’s location on a rooftop made it a challenge for stormwater management and ecological sustainability. 35% of its surface is vegetation, and 18% other water permeable materials. The vegetation improves the microclimate, acoustics and wind conditions of the park, and adds to the natural diversity.

All surfaces and paths are designed for rainwater to naturally run into vegetated areas, and next to the main walkway, a stormwater channel collects excess surface water and acts as a flood route for the park. The entire roof has a drainage and water storage element under its surface, collecting water for plants and balancing humidity.

More than 50 species of plants have been incorporated. Image credit - Mika Huisman/Decopic.

More than 50 species of plants have been included in the park, many tying into the archipelago theme such as conifers, perennials and beach grasses. Species were also chosen for their ability to endure the difficult climate of the roof, with changing conditions and strong winds.

“Bryga represents future design solutions where all areas of the city are considered valuable and design process is multidisciplinary,” says Maanlumo. “The park adds an ecological and visual value to the surroundings that otherwise would be considered very technical and even hostile. Next to the high-rise buildings the park provides a human scale and the natural shapes of the park softens the hard environment. Bryga enriches the local environment and provides a place for urban culture to grow.”

A children’s playground also features in the design. Image credit - Mika Huisman/Decopic.