Kysymykset ja vastaukset

Rekisteröityneet kilpailijat voivat tehdä kilpailua koskevia kysymyksiä tämän sivun kautta. Kilpailua koskevat kysymykset ja vastaukset julkaistaan tällä sivulla. Kysymysten viimeinen jättöpäivä on 12.3.2012. Ks. kilpailuohjelman luku 2.3. Ilmoittautumista koskevat kysymykset ja vastaukset löytyvät Ilmoittautuminen ja kelpoisuusehdot sivulta.

Kysymykset ja vastaukset on ryhmitelty aihealueittain. Kysymyksen sisältäessä useita alakohtia, kysymys ja vastaus kaikkine alakohtineen on sijoitettu ensimmäisen alakysymyksen aihealueen mukaan.

Korjauksia vastauksiin:

26.3.2012 Vastaukset3.25, 3.39 ja 3.53
26.3.2012 Vastaus 1.8, ensimmäinen kohta
21.3.2012 Vastaus 2.47, alin kohta

1. General topics

  • 1.1 Question:

    Could you please specify 1) programme floor area, 2) gross floor area and 3) building rights?

    Answer:

    Specification of the following areas:  programme floor area, gross area, building rights (based on Finnish building practice RT 12-10277)

    1) The programme floor area describes the sum of the floor areas of the spaces listed in the room programme. The room sizes (m2) provided in the room programme are the floor areas of the rooms (the area of the room bounded by the inner surfaces of the surrounding walls or their imaginary extensions) or space requirements (when in an open space not bounded by walls). The room programme area describes the total size of the spaces listed in the room programme.

    Thus the programme floor area does not include spaces which are not included in the room programme (circulation spaces and technical spaces) or the thicknesses of walls or other structures which, for their part, belong to the gross floor area.

    2) The “gross floor area” describes the total size of the building. It includes all floor areas of the building (calculated using the external measurements of the building) irrespective of their location, use or whether the rooms are unheated or heated. From this sum, for instance, openings in the intermediate floor that are not minor are not included.

    3) “Building rights” is a legal term governing building. They are generally smaller than the “gross floor area”. NOTE: The building rights are not the same as the gross floor area, as incorrectly informed in the Competition Programme, p. 35, Section 3.3.1. For example, in the feasibility study for the Central Library the “programme area” is 10.000 m2, the “gross floor area” is approximately 16.000 m2 and the “building rights” is 14.000 m2.

  • 1.2 Question:

    What is included in the estimated building costs 69,9 million euros ( million euros, competition programme Section 3.4.3) ?

    Answer:

    The cost estimate contains all developer costs linked with the construction and contracting of the project:

    - structural engineering costs (area and building) including building site work - HVAC - electrical work (including IT, access control, etc.) - building development = project management and preparation, design preparation and steerage, construction preparation and steerage, project steerage, warranty period management - design (architectural, structural, HVAC, interior, geo-technical, fire-protection and acoustic design) - connection charges - reproduction services, IT (e.g. data modelling and planroom), maintenance log tasks - separate developer acquisitions (e.g. bookshelves and non-fixed furniture in the initial project stage) - art work acquisitions 1 % - risk and additional work provisions

  • 1.3 Question:

    We’d like you to clarify if the programme areas are gross or net.

    Answer:

    Please see answer 1.1

  • 1.4 Question:

    Are the room sizes provided in the ROOM PROGRAMME net or gross (incl. circulation, mechanical, wall thickness, etc)? i.e is the total BUILDING size expected to be larger than 10,000m2? Thank you.

    Answer:

    Please see answer 1.1

  • 1.5 Question:

    5.- In the competition programme we could read about the laws we should follow with our design. Where can we find them? Is it possible to find them in English?

    Answer:

    These refer to the whole design process, of which the design of the competition proposal is a very preliminary phase. The building shall be realizable in accordance with Finnish building law, standards and directives.

    The competitors are responsible for clarifying these kinds of issues themselves with such accuracy as they find appropriate. Finnish building law and standards have been translated into English only partly and fragmentarily.

  • 1.6 Question:

    On page 51 of the Competition program, you mention laws, directives and standards concerning Finnish building, that are to be followed. Since both phases of the competition do not ask for a necessary cooperation with a Finnish firm, could you please supply the information you know that deviates from international standards and codes?

    Answer:

    Please see answer 1.5

  • 1.7 Question:

    Could you explain the conflict between the total floor area of 15,980 m2 (mentioned in the project press release from 9th june 2010, page 2) and the floor area of 14 000 m2 (mentioned in competition program, page 35)? Can you confirm the latest data is the one to follow?

    Answer:

    Please see answer 1.1

  • 1.8 Question:

    Hello, I have some question: 1°- About the question n°1.1 of this page, must the gross floor be considered as 16000 m2? 2°- How much gross floor area is it possible to build in the underground? 3°- Are the balcony and terrace included in the gross floor area?

    Answer:

    1.  Please see the answers 1.1 and 2.68.

    2. Please see the answer 2.14

    3. No, the gross floor area does not include places where the external walls turn into recesses (e.g. balconies or terraces)

  • 1.9 Question:

    Can you tell us that the, staircaises and elevators are incuded in the 10000 or is a plus? Thank you for your quick answer.

    Answer:

    No, they are not included in the programme floor area (10.000m2).  Please see the answer 1.1.

  • 1.10 Question:

    Do you know what were the materials used for the structure of the Concert building?

    Answer:

    Please see the appendix 3.

  • 1.11 Question:

    Hello. One more question, In case an open and uncovered terrace is placed in the rooftop, would it count as part of the gross floor area? And id it is open but covered? Thanks

    Answer:

    No (being according to your description). Please see also the answer 1.1.

2. Town planning and cityscape design principles (including regulations, traffic and building site)

  • 2.1 Question:

    In the competition introduction seminar there was a request to provide further clarification about the future underground multi-purpose facilities on the west side of the library block.

    Answer:

    The Töölönlahti detailed town plan was ratified by the Helsinki City Council on 2002. After that on 2011, the city board has approved the proposed draft of the detailed town plan for an underground multipurpose space between the Music Centre and the Central Library. This is an important possibility for the future, but there is not any real building project just now.

  • 2.2 Question:

    In the competition introductory seminar there were questions about the Töölönlahti detailed town plan concerning the 1) height of the building and 2) the opening of the building mass in the middle. 

    Answer:

    Please see the competition program chapter 3.3 and specially 3.3.4.  In the Töölönlahti detailed town plan the height of the Central Library is +25. The competitors must present their own interpretation of an architecturally high- quality public building instead of the office buildings in the Töölönlahti detailed town plan.

    Detailed markings in the official detailed town plan (as the open yard in the middle of the block, exact roof hights, glass roofed yards in the buildings, the lower leaves etc.) are based on idea of four small office houses instead of the important public building.

    That’s why it is important that competitors make their own architectural view, what is the right architectural solution at the Töölönlahti context.

    Opening in the middle is not oblicatory.

  • 2.3 Question:

    Good morning, is it possible to locate the cinema in the basement connected to underground area as the intention of city plan connected to that serves cultural, educational, exhibition and meeting activities as well as café and restaurant facilities.

    Answer:

    Yes.

  • 2.4 Question:

    Can the “service and loading area” be placed in the basement of the library block? Can you answer the questions by participants as early as possible as some of our questions are determinant for the design? Thanks

    Answer:

    Service and loading area can be placed in the first floor or basement, but the driving door and the ramp must be located inside the building.

  • 2.5 Question:

    When stating heights, i.e. + 21.00 +25.00 as the height of the new library, does this refer to the absolute height from the sea level or the relative height from the ground?

    Answer:

    This refers to the absolute height from the sea level.

  • 2.6 Question:

    We have several technical questions: Question number one: ¿We could eliminate the number thirteen building?. Concretely the railway warehouse (ruin)

    Question number two:¿It´s possible to make a technical intervention outside the sandlot?

    Answer:

    1. No.

    2. No. Look the chapters 3.3.2 and 3.3.9. It´s possible to diverge slightly from the borders in the detailed town plan and make overhangs, but it´s not allowed to have any technical or other constructions in the public areas, on the street level, parks or piazzas.

  • 2.7 Question:

    The competition document, in reference to the library height (3.3.4, page 46), talks about eaves at +21.00 and roof height at +25.00. In case a flat roof is proposed can this be at +25.00?

    Answer:

    Please look 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.4. The competitors must present their own interpretation of an architecturally high- quality public building instead of the office buildings in the Töölönlahti detailed town plan.

    In case of flat roof, the answer is: Yes

  • 2.8 Question:

    In the room programme, a “service and loading area” is mentioned. Its area is 400 sq meters and has to have an access for a delivery van, with free height of at least 4,5m. Does this space should be considered as an outdoor area, not especially covered with a roof? Or does it need to be considered as a proper room located inside the building, with a direct access to the exterior?

    Answer:

    Please look 3.3.9. The service and loading area must be located inside the building.

  • 2.9 Question:

    1) The competition programme refers to the City Centre Tunnel shafts and emergency staircases (chapter 3.3.8). We’ve downloaded all the available information from the site, but in the topic 8 – City Centre Tunnel, we can’t understand where the shafts, staircases and the exact position of the tunnel is in relation to the plot. Is it possible to explicit the location of them and, if possible, to make available a .dwg drawing, to have their correct position?

    2) All the drawings and images show two railway buildings in the Makasiinipuisto park. Apparently one of them (the northwards) has burned. Will it be rebuilt or can we consider for the future only one railway warehouse?

    Answer:

    1) The planning material of the City Centre Tunnel is in the appendice number 8 in Competition documentation. It shows the exact position of the tunnel (for example x=49361,9  y= 18765,2). Please look the chapter number 3.3.8. All the shafts must be in the building. They could be on the south side or on the north side of the City Centre Tunnel. The extraction shaft (20 m2) should be 2 metres above the roof level. The air-intake shaft (20 m2) should be at least 3 metres above the ground level. The staircases must be on the south and on the north side of the City Centre Tunnel (2 staircases).

    2)Only the existing ware house building (ruin) must take in account. The other park pavilion buildings (which are new pavilion buildings in the official detailed town plan) and their final quantity, quality and dimensions will be decided later after the Library competition.

  • 2.10 Question:

    Paragraph 3.3.9, p. 49 of the competition programm is not understandable. It is not clear how the traffic connection should work out at all. Could you clarify!

    Answer:

    Please look the appendixe number 6 (Traffic plan) and chapter 3.3.9. The library is a building in the city centre by the park and pedestrian area on the west side of the Töölönlahdenkatu street, which is the connection to the site.

  • 2.11 Question:

    In the competition introductary seminar there was a wish to get all information about the new buildings around the competition site gathered in one document, and preferably as a 3D model.

    Answer:

    The architectural design of the buildings is currently about to begin. Consequently the design material is not available as a virtual model. Pictures of the designs will be placed on the competition website when the material is made available to the competition organisers.

  • 2.12 Question:

    Question about loading area: Is it possible to have a free height of 4.5 meter just for the delivery van access, and the rest of space 3 meter height?

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme 3.3.9. It tells the free height and the width required by service traffic. You have to make your own service traffic solution that works. See also 3.4.2.

  • 2.13 Question:

    Is it possible, according to the planning regulations, to exceed the building outline in the basement?

    Answer:

    It is possible to exceed slightly also in the basement.

  • 2.14 Question:

    Could you specify how many square meters (gross area) could be realised in basement?

    Answer:

    No. It depends on your own solution. The major issues to be taken into the consideration in the design of the underground spaces are; types of spaces (can they be placed underground, see the competition programme 4.2 and 6), location of the reserve for the City Center Tunnel and building costs. The maximum allowable floor area given in the detailed town plan can be exceeded if the other requirements given in the competition documents are met.

    Please see answer also 2.13.

  • 2.15 Question:

    What are the plans for building no.13, the “Railway warehouse” (ruin)? Will this building be used as an open public building in the park, with e.g. exhibitions inside, or will it be fenced off as seen in some of the area photos and not be accessible to the public? Can the free-standing wall south-west of this building be removed?

    Answer:

    The use of the railway warehouse (ruin) will be resolved in the future planning of the park and the underground multipurpose place.

  • 2.16 Question:

    Please could you clarify question 2.4and point 3.3.9 of the competition program. Question: Can the “service and loading area” be placed in the basement of the library block?
Can you answer the questions by participants as early as possible as some of our questions are determinant for the design?


    Answer:

    Service and loading area can be placed in the first floor or basement, but the driving door and the ramp must be located inside the building.

    It is not clear if we can opt for the same solution as in the Project plan summary for the press 9 June 2010 p.12 (please see plan) through neighbouring plot 2015. Or if we are obliged to use our own access ramp inside our plot or if could enter through the underground proposal of the park.

    We would appreciate if you could clarify this if necessary with a plan showing the connection. Thank you very much.

    Answer:

    The traffic connection to the service spaces cannot be directed from the block 2015. In the design of the block 2015 the solution with the underground service area has been abandoned because of technical problems. Please see the competition programme 3.3.9 paragraph 2. See also the answer 2.4. The realization of the multipurpose place is uncertain or it will come later than the Library.

  • 2.17 Question:

    Above that height, you can exit from the shape of the lot with the overhanging volumes?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer  2.2.

  • 2.18 Question:

    We have a question about the intervention area of approved plan of parks in 2011, specifically red area. Could we design the area between the plot and the musiikkitalo, and that we interpret that is a extension of the plot?. Always that is considered as public space.

    Answer:

    You have to design the Central Library to the block 2014 with the defined conditions in the competition programme. The park is not in the competition area, but you could show some visions to the park area if you want.

  • 2.19 Question:

    In the competition programme, the relationship between our building and the adjacent park is not entirely clear. It seems that we are to consider and underground commercial space as per the documents in #4 excerpts from the detailed town plan for the area. These documents show a schematic site design that is related to a library architectural concept, both sharing a language of sharp jagged edges. From these images it appears that the entire site wants to be part of a cohesive masterplan, which includes the library, the adjacent plaza and the commercial space under the plaza.

    Can we design the both the Library and the plaza to ensure that they relate and connect appropriately? If the answer is “yes, we can design the plaza,” it then raises other questions: 1) Could we design the plaza only very schematically to show a shared architectural language and a connection to the library, similar to documents in #4 listed above? 2) Could we push parts of the library program out into the plaza, while still conforming to the rest of the competition requirements?

    Answer:

    Please see answer 2.18.

  • 2.20 Question:

    1.In point 3.3.1 of the competition programme You state that “Total building rights for the city block are 14 000 m2 (grossfloor area) of which 800 m2 are underground”.

    On the other hand in the “6.Room programme” there are numerous facilities to be placed in the underground floor(s), which would greatly exceed the previously stated 800m2. Our question is: is 800m2 the maximum limit of overall built underground area and could it be larger than that(but still in the 14 000m2 limit).

    Answer:

    The maximum allowable underground floor area given in the detailed town plan can be exceeded if the other requirements given in the competition documents are met. Please see the answers 1.1 and  2.14.

  • 2.21 Question:

    Would it be possible to have a cad file of the tline of the tunnel passing under the building? It is a very important detail conditioning the structure of the building that cannot be just borrowed from a pdf file. Thanks

    Answer:

    No. All the information of the tunnel is in the competition document 8.

  • 2.22 Question:

    The layout of the pavilions of Magasinsparken is binding, or can be displaced while maintaining always the parameters of height, surface, …

    Answer:

    Only the location of the old warehouse (now ruin) is binding. Other pavilions will be designed (shape,size  and location) later in the future planning of the southern public place. Please see also answer 2.9.

  • 2.23 Question:

    Kilpailun aloitusseminaarissa keskusteltiin rakennuksen sallitusta korkeudesta, ja tähän kysymykseen luvattiin yksiselitteinen vastaus nettisivuilla. Kilpailuohjelmassa viitataan kaavaan, jossa korkeus on määritelty viereisten toimistotalojen mukaan. Tämä on erittäin oleellinen kysymys suunnittelun kannalta, ja jonka tärkeyttä myös seminaarissa korostettiin. Jos vastaukset julkaistaan vasta 12.3. jälkeen, tulee näin oleellinen tieto suunnittelun kannalta liian myöhään. Voiko kaavassa määritellystä korkeudesta siis poiketa?

    In the competition introductory seminar there was a discussion about the maximum permitted height of the building and it was promised that this question would be answered unambiguously on the competition website. The competition programme refers to the detailed town plan, where the height of the building is defined according to the neighbouring office buildings. This is a very essential question in the design, the importance of which was emphasized also in the seminar.  If the answer is not published until 12.3, this information, so essential for the design, will be received too late with regards to the design process. So, is it possible to deviate from the building height defined in the detailed town plan?

    Answer:

    Please see answer 2.2.

  • 2.24 Question:

    Please, specify if the max height of the building is +25 m above sea level or above street level.

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.5.

  • 2.25 Question:

    In the base map autocad file, the project area is divided in 4 numbered sectors. Could you please specify their the meaning?

    Answer:

    In the detailed town plan the block 2 014 consists of four different office sites (1-4). In this completion you should design one public library building instead of four office buildings.

  • 2.26 Question:

    1.- Is there some more information about the underground educational & cultural centre? Where is its exact location in the piazza? What is a size of each floor? How are they illuminated (sizes and positions)?   2.- What is the safety margin between the tunnel and our foundations? How wide should be the place provided for the possible extension of the tunnel? From the information in the programme we conclude that it is not allowed to build under the tunnel, is it true? 3.- Is the “Aproved_plan_of parks_2011 definitive? In the other plans we could clearly see other distributions of the urban open spaces. Up to which point is the plan an obligation?

    Answer:

    1. No. Please see answer 2.1.

    2. It is not possible to build under the tunnel.

    3. The approved plan of parks is not binding between the library and The Music Centre.

  • 2.27 Question:

    Would it be possible to have exact length and width of the competition area in order to make sure that the drawing are at the correct scale? The conversion of DWGs file by different cad softwares doesn’t always maintain the correct unit/scale. many thanks

    Answer:

     The width of the block 2014 is 31,949 m and the length is 149,998 m.

  • 2.28 Question:

    We would like to ask some questions regarding the basement.

    a.In the 3.3.9 of the competition program paragraph three it is stated that the “traffic access to the maintenance service areas is to be placed underground via the underground spaces of block no. 2015 adjacent to the railway lines”. However in the appendix 11 we see that in the basement of block 2015 there is no provision for such an access. That means that we need to propose another way to access the underground spaces?

    b.From the appendix 8 drawings regarding the City Centre Tunnel, what we understand is that in the area between the two ramps and over the tunnels we can construct column foundations. Is that so?

    c.Again from appendix 8 drawings, we don’t see any fixed positions for the shafts of the City Centre Tunnel. Are there any specific requirements regarding their location?

    Thank you in advance.

    Answer:

    a. Please see 3.3.9. paragraph 2 and answer 2.16

    b. Please see the section in the appendix 8. There must be a load bearing ground slab over the tunnels and ramps. In the sections between 1693-1705 and 1705-1724 you can see small arrows showing the places where it is possible to construct the column foundations.

    c. Please see the answer 2.9.

  • 2.29 Question:

    The city tunnel drawings are not in the same position and dimensions in appendix 6 and appendix 8. Which one should we consider as the correct one?

    Answer:

    In the appendix 8 there are the exact plans of the tunnel.

  • 2.30 Question:

    What´s is the most updated urban plan? The one in the document number 9?

    Answer:

    The approved plan of parks is not binding in the southern park between the library and The Music Centre. You must follow the town planning principles of the Töölönlahti detailed town plan also in the southern part of the area. The park area was carried out as a temporary park for the opening of the Music Centre. The park will be planned after the competition of the library and after the planning  of the underground multipurpose place.   Please see also the answer 2.1.

  • 2.31 Question:

    The given detailed town plans have several different planning stages which makes it hard for the participants to understand which planning stage should be used.

    The new design should link to the multipurpose space in the underground but there are no detailed floorplans or sections of the current design stage in CAD.

    Could you clarify the design stage which is the fundament for the library design. And it would be helpful to deliver CAD sections and floorplans of the multipurpose space in the underground.

    Answer:

     Please look chapter 3.3 and the presentations in the competition seminar 20.1. 2012.

    In the appendixes number 4 are all the information you need. The draft of the detailed town plan, the draft plans of the multipurpose space and it´s floor levels could change later. Please see also answer 2.1.

  • 2.32 Question:

    We have just received the documents you give after loggin in. We are a bit confused about the final park design in front of the Library site, and we would like to ask you several questions about it: 1. Which is the final design for the park and piazza next to the Library?

    2. Is the Railway Station Warehouse (ruin) going to be demolished?

    3. We know that the Library must be connected in some way to the programm below the park, so: - Can we make a proposal for the design the park and the programme underneath it? - If we can make a proposal for it, can you please give us the exact program and urban conditions to design it? -If we can’t design it , we would need to have the plans, sections, drawings, and program information of this area in order to know exactly what the Library will be connected to.

    4. In addition, we would like to ask you about the volume limit dimentions: - Can we exceed the height limit of 22 meters?

    Answer:

    1. Please see answers 2.31, 2.30 and 2.22.

    2. Please see answer 2.9.

    3. The site of the Library is the competition area. Please see 2.31.

    4. Yes. Please see answer 2.7.

  • 2.33 Question:

    According to the town plan the building must be formed of two separate blocks.

    Do we have to follow this footprint strictly?

    Is it possible to leave a passage and connect the blocks on the upper floors?

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 2.2 and 2.25.

  • 2.34 Question:

    Is the document 9-public-street-and-park-spaces the most updated urban plan drawing?

    Answer:

    Please see answer 2.30.

  • 2.35 Question:

    We have a question about the underground floors, particularly about the building rights. In the guidlines design principles is written that the total building rights for the underground is 800 mq,at the same time you wrote that can be build three basemant floor, but only with the cinema linked with his service spaces you reach the 800 mq, so how can be possible to build three floor underground with a range so restricted? It would be much appreciated if you answer the questions as soon as possible cause this will be determinant for the design!

    p.s we sent a similar question some days ago but we got no response!

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.14.

    We answer to the question as soon as possible. However the answering process (including the whole jury´s acceptal of the prepared answers) takes a while.

  • 2.36 Question:

    We have a question about Plot 2015 and 2016: How far are these schemes in the planning process? Are they due to be built as this or will they be redesigned after the library is designed? Thank you

    Answer:

    The building construction of the plots 2015 and 2016 is beginning in summer 2012

  • 2.37 Question:

    Programme page 35: “The car-loading station for train traffic will be dismantled in 2012 and its operations will move northwards to Pasila.” Where is this car-loading station for train traffic located?

    Answer:

    Pasila is a new city centre district and a large railway station in Helsinki located about 4 km north of the city Center.

  • 2.38 Question:

    I would like to ask about the planned tunnel because as the competition programme sais the project has to enable the tunnel construction after the library buiding is completed. That means there has to be no foundations in the tunnel area. There is the building designed on the plot 2015 which has the columns above the tunnel and I wonder how the tunnel can be constructed below this building? Does it mean this building will be constructed after the tunnel or it has load bearing ground slab on which the columns stands?

    Answer:

    Please see the appendix 8 and the answer 2.28

  • 2.39 Question:

    Could you please provide an English translation of the document: I_Proposed_draft_for_dtp_2011excerpt_from_stipulations.

    Answer:

    Yes. The Finnish version has been replaced with the English one. We thank you for notifying this and regret for the confusion the wrong language version may have caused.

  • 2.40 Question:

    In your programme you speak of locating services in the basement of block 2014. However, having read information about adapting to the tunnel and the text about the bedrock, we do not understand how we can plan a basement under the building; ground level is at +3.3 average, and where there is bedrock we cannot make foundation below +1.5. This leaves little space for a proper basement. Have we understood the information correctly?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.8 and the appendixes 4 and 8. In the block 2014, the detailed town plan of Töölönlahti allows underground spaces down to -7,0 except in case of the City Centre Tunnel (ma/l) no basements or other underground spaces.

  • 2.41 Question:

    We have a question regarding the undergroud multipurpose space on the west side of the library plot. In chapter 3.3.6 of the competition programme document, there are several requirements on connecting the library to the non-existing multipurpose space “forming a cohesive totality”. But we could not find enough information of the underground facility to achieve this close linkage. The floor levels are also given in this chapter suggesting the design of the same level heights in the library, but according to Question 2.1 on the webpage there is no real project at this time. Shall we still design according to the given data? If there is an underground facility what happens to the old railway warehouse?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.31. We have no more information about the multipurpose space. You have to make your own proposal how to linkage together the Library, the multipurpose place and the old railway warehouse.

  • 2.42 Question:

    Are there any photographs/other visual material of the preserved railway warehouse?

    Answer:

    In the competition documents there is plenty of visual material of preserved ruins of the warehouse, please see for example the competition document 2 (4949-A_003_2011), 9 and especially document 13.

  • 2.43 Question:

    Could you indicate the depth level (meters) of the City Centre Tunnel?, does it restrict in some way the construction below ground level.

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 2.9 and 2.26.

  • 2.44 Question:

    Could you please provide photos of the brick warehouse building that is to be retained. Thank you.

    Answer:

    Please see answer 2.42

  • 2.45 Question:

    Related to point 3.3.8 and question number 2.9 .

    Is it possible to have the tunnel shafts and the emergency staircase for the city tunnel within the block nº 14 but NOT INSIDE THE BUILDING OR CONNECTED TO IT. This means that they will be outside the building but correctly integrated in the sourroundings.

    Answer:

    The answer to your question is in the programme and in the answer 2.9. The details depend on your own architectural solution.

  • 2.46 Question:

    The use of the roof as a terrace is suggested in the programme. We have a question regarding your answer to question 2.7. If the flat roof happens to be a terrace, can the flat roof still be at +25m? Would +25 m be the total height of the building including constructions to provide access the roof and protection elements such as handrails?

    Question 2.9 specifies that the height of the tunnel extraction shaft should be 2 metres above the roof level. Would this height be +27,0 then?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.2. The details of the roof depend on your own architectural solution.

    Please see the answer 2.2. The details about the roof depend on your own solution. The shaft could be 2 metres higher than the other roof.

  • 2.47 Question:

    I have questions concerning the underground multi-purpose space on the west side of competition plot. The only material available on the competition website are the situation plan, the cross section and the perspective from north. Is it possible to provide floor plans as the library should be connected with this space?

    According to the competition programme the railway warehouse should be preserved but it is not maintained in the underground multi-purpose space project. The warehouse is visible in the aerial perspective in appendix 13 which is incompatibile with the perspective of underground multi-purpose space in appendix 4.

    Is it obligatory to use the freeze picture of virtual model provided in appendix 13 or it is possible to show the library in draft context of the multi-purpose space?

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 2.1 and 2.31.

    Please see the answers 2.15 and 2.9.

    Using the freeze picture in appendix 13 as the basis for the competition document 5 (last item) is not obligatory as long as the viewpoint and vista are exactly the same as in the appendix 13, the surrounding existing buildings are shown realistic and the planned buildings are shown according to the detailed town plan (as in the appendix 13) or to the appendix 11 (plans of buildings projected for the immediate surroundings). Please see also the answer 5.5 (the picture 13 can be adjusted) and the competition programme, Section 5.1, item 9.

  • 2.48 Question:

    Wich of the detailed town plan points that refers to the block no. 2014 we must consider and wich ones we don´t considerating the new use of the plot?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3, appendixes and the answers.

  • 2.49 Question:

    Concerning the programme: Has the site border to be strictly followed, or can alternative interpretations of the “block” be applied for the design? Can the building footprint expand beyond the site border?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.2 – 3.3.4.

  • 2.50 Question:

    Which are the occupation conditions above and below ground level (m²)? Are still valid the ones from the 2002 planning?

    Answer:

    The square meters above and underground the ground level could be divided differently from the Töölönlahti detailed town plan 2002 but you have to follow the planning principles in the competition programme.  Please see also the answer 2.14.

  • 2.51 Question:

    Could you clarify what the drop off area that appears to the south of the site in document 6_Traffic Plan means?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.9.

  • 2.52 Question:

    Does the body of water situated north of the competition site and west from the railway line bridge contain lake- or sea water? Does this body of water rise and fall with the tides (ebb/tide)?

    Answer:

    Sea water. The water in the canal is always in same level and the Töölönlahti bay has tides

  • 2.53 Question:

    Does “drop off zone” have to be compatible with the requirements for buses?

    Answer:

    No.

  • 2.54 Question:

    In Toolonlahti detailed town plan 2002 there is a symbol: “ma/lr”. What does it mean? We couldn’t find an explanation for it in competition documents.

    Answer:

    You don’t need to to take it into consideration. It is an old reservation for underground railway which has been abandonded.

  • 2.55 Question:

    Can we addapt the existing warehouse building for the library/multipurpose programme?

    Answer:

    No. The warehouse is a protected building (listed in the official detailed town plan). The role and the function of the warehouse will be planned in future town planning of the area. Please see the answer 2.15

  • 2.56 Question:

    Refering to question 2.18, we would like to ask about the design range of underground mulipurpose space. Does this have to be also a vision?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.6 and 5.1. You need to show the possibility of the connection to underground place but you do not have to have the vision of the underground multipurpose space.

  • 2.57 Question:

    In the Base_map_1 the competition area has 30 m width. Is it posible to use the park space on the west side as part of the landscape proposal for the library, or we just have to use the area that is marked in the plan as competition area?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.18

  • 2.58 Question:

    Voiko kilpailija käsitellä myös nykyisen kilpailualueen länsipuolista puistoa makasiinijäännöksineen ja paviljonkeineen osana kilpailualuetta. Se antaisi kirjaston kannalta tarkoituksenmukaisemman tontin sekä kilpailijoille paljon inspiroivammat lähtökohdat, joilla onnistunut lopputulos taattaisiin.

    Can the competitor deal also with the park, including the warehouse ruins and pavilions west of the competition area, as part of the competition area? With regard to the library, this would give a plot that is more appropriate, as well as give the competitors a more inspiring starting point with which to guarantee a successful result.

    Answer:

    You must follow the programme. Please see the answer 2.18

  • 2.59 Question:

    Please could you answer the following questions:

    A) Question concerning the “problem” with the traffic connection to the “service and loading area”, also discussed in 2.16 Question and Answer:

    Can the traffic connection to the service spaces be directed as an underground connection from the “free” area between plot 2015 and plot 2016? From the competition’s documents about the plans of the adjacent buildings we understood that the place is used for two traffic ramps which serve the buildings in plot 2015 and plot 2016, and they are placed outside the boundaries of the building’s underground levels.

    B) Could we place the air-intake and extraction shafts separately, the one on the south side and the other on the north side of the City Centre Tunnel?

    Answer:

    No. There is only a connection north to the blocks 2016-2018. Please see the answers 2.16 and 2.28.

    Please see the answer 2.9.

  • 2.60 Question:

    Is there any clear drawing sectionof the north tunnel? Where it shows the real dimensions?

    Answer:

    All the information you need is in the programme and the appendixies.

  • 2.61 Question:

    How would the parking interaction be? Under or above ground? How is the intersection?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.9 and 3.3.1 and the appendix 6. The connections will be exterior.

  • 2.62 Question:

    What is the quality of the soil on the site?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.11 and the appendix 10.

  • 2.63 Question:

    Onko Töölönlahdenkadun ajorampin hyödyntämistä kirjaston huoltoyhteytenä tutkittu? Ramppi voisi käyttää keskustatunnelin rampin tilavarausta ja se voitaisiin rakentaa molempia tarkoituksia palvelevaksi. Kirjaston maantasokerros vapautuisi ajorampeista ja huolto-ovista. Samalla ehkä säästettäisiinkin, kun rakennettaisiin yksi ramppi vähemmän.

    Has the Töölönlahdenkatu street car ramp as use as the library service connection been investigated? The ramp could use the space reservation for the city centre tunnel ramp and it could be built for serving both purposes. The ground floor plan of the library would be free of car ramps and maintenance doors. At the same time, perhaps some savings would be achieved when one ramp less would be built.

    Answer:

    It is not possible to have any connection to the ramp.

  • 2.64 Question:

    3) Is it possible for a local part of the building to get over the roof height +25.0? If yes, how tall this part of the building can be? 4) Is it possible for a local part of the building to get over the competition area? If yes, how much and at what height it is possible?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.2 and 3.3.4 and the answer 2.2.

  • 2.65 Question:

    The width of the site varies: it is 32m in the Base map (Appendix 1) and 30m in the Traffic plan (Appendix 6). which one is correct?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.27.

  • 2.66 Question:

    - Could you indicate the depth level (meters) of the City Centre Tunnel?, does it restrict in some way the construction below ground level.

    - Which are the occupation conditions above and below ground level (m²)? Are still valid the ones from the 2002 planning?

    - Should we keep our proposal within the lines showed in the plan 4-J Proposed draft for dtp 2011 illustration.pdf and the section 4-K Proposed draft for dtp 2011 section from south.pdf?

    - Could you provide an information about needed connection between given parking lot and designed building? Should it be directly connected using underground floors of the building, or the connection can be exterior?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.8 and the appendix 8 ja 10.

    The square meters above and underground the ground level could be divided differently from the Töölönlahti detailed town plan 2002 but you have to follow the planning principles in the competition programme.  Please see also  the answer 2.14.    

    Please see the answers 2.1 and 2.31.  The appendixes J and K are illustrations from the preliminary drafts of the underground multipurpose place and they are not binding.

    The connections will be exterior so additional information of these is not necessary. Please see also the answer 2.61

  • 2.67 Question:

    We have a question about the proposed draft of the detailed town plan (2011) for the underground multi-purpose space. 1.- Do we have to follow the J-proposed_draft_for_dtp_2011 [In competition folder 4] . 2.-Connection to the library block must be taken in consideration as the proposed draft reveals? [ K_proposed_draft_for_dtp_2011] [In competition folder 4] 3.- In any case, we understand that the PAARAKENNUS building is the library building.

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 2.1, 2.31 and 2.66

  • 2.68 Question:

    Again a question to gross floor area (GFA) and building rights. Please do not refer to question 1.1 because it is not quite clear answered:

    Here are our questions:

    1. Is the total gross floor area now 16.000 m² for this competition? If yes, could we all forget the 14.000 m² building right and just remember 16.000 m² GFA?

    2. What is the the limit of GFA for the basement then?

    3. If you cannot answer the questions above, please explain us how to calculate the “building right area” if it does not equal gross floor area.

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme, 3.4.2. The gross floor area depends on the design solution, thus the gross floor area of the design is not defined in the competition documents. However, the other requirements in the competition programme (for example costs, building rights) shall be met. The gross floor area (16.000 m2) together with the room programme is indicative to the 14.000 m² building right in this competition. Please see also the answer 1.1.

    2. Please see the answer 2.14.

    3. It is not appropriate to require the competitors to calculate the building right area as the definition of the building right area isn´t familiar but to the Finnish architects.

  • 2.69 Question:

    1. Please, describe the requirement for exit stairs from both sides of the tunnel to be located in the Library Building. What about Fire requirements? What about human traffic through the Library who may not be interested in the Library services at all, just passing by. Are there any other means of vertical communication from the tunnel required to dispense in the Library – like elevators, for example. What size will be the human traffic from the tunnel – how many people per day, etc. How critical is the dispense of human traffic inside the Library Building. Why can’t this be taken care with a separate entry to the tunnel outside of the building and connected later to the underground cultural mall under the park? This will turn the building into a metro station and will diminish its value as a cultural anchor. It is enough that the tunnel will go under the building, why making it so complex with so many restrictions in the Program size?

    2. Question about the air shafts – it would be fine to run them through the building, but they may cause other problems – they may require special maintenance – why burden a cultural center with technical problems beyond the scope of what it is planned for. There is plenty of park area, where air shafts can be utilized with surface appearance that can look like park sculptures…

    3. Would you, please provide real time images (photos) of the existing built environment as seen from the Parliament and as seen from the Park area, north of Toolonlahdenkatu Street and any other points that can give a full real life photographic vision of the existing environment, so we can add our simulation of the new building to something that is realistic. The 3D model provided does not carry the quality of the beautiful surrounding buildings.

    Answer:

    1. and 2. According to the Töölönlahti detailed town plan the exit stairs and the air shafts must be in the Library building block. City of Helsinki don´t want to have them in the parks or streets. You need not to have any elevators from the tunnel.

    3. Please see the appendixes 2, 3 and 11 (aerial view). A zenithal photograph has been added to the appendix 2. Also for example Google maps or Bing-maps services offer photographic views to the area.

  • 2.70 Question:

    Hello. I have read properly the part 3.3.8. about City Centre Tunnel but we would want to know the use exactly of the four holes (two up) and (two down). The two up is for cars and the two down for subway? or the use is only thought for cars? Another question: I have seen the pdf documentation of the location of the city centre tunnel. but where are represented in the top plan the ventilation shafts?

    Answer:

    The tunnel and the ramps are for cars. The City Centre tunnel goes under the city center and Töölönlahti area. The ramps are for traffic to Töölönlahdenkatu street.

    The ventilation shafts are not shown in all the drafts of the Library building. Please look the planning principles in programme chapter 3.3.8 and the answer 2.9.

  • 2.71 Question:

    Concerning the programme: How deep can the basements be dug out?

    Is there any information on ground water levels in the area?

    Answer:

    The lowest level on the northern part of the block 2014 is -7.0 (no basements on the southern part of the block). 

     Please look the programme 3.3.11.

  • 2.72 Question:

    Concerning the programme: Has the site border to be strictly followed, or can alternative interpretations of the “block” be applied for the design? Can the building footprint expand beyond the site border?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.2 – 3.3.4 and the answer  2.49.

  • 2.73 Question:

    1. Could you clarify further the answer on 2.9 quest. : “They could be on the south side or on the north side of the City Centre Tunnel.” which means that both the two air shafts must be on one side of the tunnel or the one could be on the north and the other on the south side?

    “All the shafts must be in the building … The extraction shaft (20 m2) should be 2 metres above the roof level. The air-intake shaft (20 m2) should be at least 3 metres above the ground level.” which means that the air-intake shaft should be 3 meters above the ground level but in the building and it doesn’t reach the roof? 2. On paragraf 3.4.2. “The multipurpose hall is a rectangular-shaped flat-floored interactive performance space for … It has a collapsible auditorium for a total of 250 persons.” the term “collapsible auditorium” refers only to the furnishing that could create an auditorium and then be stored, or is it a collapsible ascending auditorium made of podiums or plinths that could be stored?

    Answer:

    1. Yes, that´s correct.

    2. The term “collapsible auditorium” refers to a folding, ascending auditorium.

  • 2.74 Question:

    1. Hello, we have plotted the exact location of the proposed city tunnel area using the grid points found in appendix no. 8. The accompanying text in appendix 8 states that basement construction can only occur in plots 1 and 2. If we (generously) avoid the area plotted using the above coordinates, can we propose some basement area within the northern section of plot 3 outside the tunnel area? 2. We also understand that escape stairs must be placed north AND south of the tunnel within the building and the extract shaft can be north OR south (minimum 20m2). Are we free (within sensible reason) to locate these as we please with the building or should we follow the approximate plan shown in the PDF drawing?

    Answer:

    1. You have to follow the programme.

    2. Please look the programme 3.3.8 and the answer 2.9. You could place them freely in the house if you take into consideration the principles said in the programme.

  • 2.75 Question:

    Could it be possible to know where exactly are the underground areas (as the one under the Musiikkitalo, the new underground area by the library, and the underground parking spaces)?

    Answer:

    Unfortunately such map is not available.

  • 2.76 Question:

    1) Could you please clarify where are located in plan the sections PL1700 and PL1717.5, on document 8, regarding the city centre tunnel?

    2) According to ‘section from West’, G, document 4 – can the height of the library on South be the one that appears on that section, +30m instead of the 25?

    3) The personnal office area for the clients (see p.59 of the competition programme) is situated in the semi-quiet zone, which is located in the library collections area – am I understanding correctly – does this mean that these personnal office areas need to be located in the collections area?

    4) Regarding Finnish Building Law – I can’t find anything on the website of the competition – is the regulation concerning fire-safety building code equivalent to the English or French regulations?

    5) Competition programme p.60 ‘It is desirable that the communal kitchen opens up to a lobby or similar space via a glass wall, so that it is possible to arrange a larger eating area when necessary’ – could you please explain this?

    6) Is the lobby of the office facilities included in the 300m² area that you give to the office facilities (p.60 – (…)

    A parking area is to be reserved for the carts in connection with the lobby (…))? Or is it included in the 50m² area of the staff lounge?

    7) Could you please clarify what’s the refuse store, building maintenance store and distribution substation?

    8) Competition programme p.73 – what’s the size of the competition posters? A1? A0? A2?

    Answer:

    1) In the appendixes 8 (layout)  you see numbers like 1700, 1720…. in inner wall of the Centre tunnel. The numbers PL 1700 and PL 1717,5 shows the exact place in the tunnel area wherefrom  the sections are taken. 

    2) Please see the programme  3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.4 and  the answer 2.2. The section in the appendix 4G shows the highest  point  +30 in the block 2015. 

    3) No. The acoustic zones refer to the acoustic conditions of the spaces. 

     4) Please see the answer 1.5.

      5) A visual and a physical connection between the project space (equipped to function as a communal kitchen) and the lobby/circulation area, which would enable the functions in the communal kitchen to expand to the lobby areas and thus add the flexibility and multipurpousness of the space.

    6 a) No. Please see the answer 1.1 and the Room programme in Section 6.

    6 b) It is to be in connection with the lobby of the office facilities, as mentioned in the competition programme, p. 60.

    7) The refuse store is room for garbage. Building maintenance store is for storing the building maintenance equipment.  Distribution substation; please see the answer 3.35.

    8) Please see the competition programme, Section 5.3 (Presentation  technique).

  • 2.77 Question:

    Do we need to say where will the library client bycicle-parking spaces be located?

    The same question regarding the staff bicycles.

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme 3.3.9, the fourth paragraph (p. 49) and the answer 3.34.

  • 2.78 Question:

    Are the upper floors of the building allowed to partly overhang in the east facade (Töölölahdenkatu)?

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.2 and 3.3.4 (next to the last paragraph).

  • 2.79 Question:

    Among the restrictions imposed by City Centre Tunnel to the basements, as are drawn in “General Structural Plan Layout”, there is an isolated area at north side of tunnel and ramp which has a crisscrossed pattern meaning that no foundations are admitted there. What is the exact function of this area? What is the meaning of blue dashed lines around this area? Do they impose additional restrictions to the basements?

    Answer:

    If we understood your question right: They are the connections in the rock area from the technical areas of the tunnel to the shaft areas.

  • 2.80 Question:

    HI, What is and where can I find the picture 930-1 as mentioned in “Preparedness for the city centre tunnel in city block no. 2014″ ?

    Answer:

    It is in the file named “General_structural_plan_layout_extract” in the appendix 8.

  • 2.81 Question:

    1) What building should we consider to be built on block 2015? Is it the one in appendix no. 11 or the one in appendixes no. 04 and no. 12?

    2) Is it common to build relatively large underground buildings in Helsinki, regarding enormous building costs and complicated technical solutions, especially concerning precautions against water pressure? 3) What are reasons for placing the multifunctional building under ground instead of placing it above ground? 4) Is building of underground spaces with all the necessary precautions reasonable from building costs´ point of view?

    Answer:

    1. The one in the appendix 11. Please see the competition programme 3.3.1 (p. 35, second last paragraph).

    3-4) The reasons are the town planning and the design principles of the Töölönlahti area, which are described in the competition programme, section 3.3.

  • 2.82 Question:

    Please could you answer the following questions:

    A) Question concerning the “problem” with the traffic connection to the “service and loading area”, :

    Can the traffic connection to the service spaces be directed as an underground connection from the “free” area between plot 2015 and plot 2016? From the competition’s documents about the plans of the adjacent buildings we understood that the place is used for two traffic ramps which serve the buildings in plot 2015 and plot 2016, and they are placed outside the boundaries of the building’s underground levels.

    B) Could we place the air-intake and extraction shafts separately, the one on the south side and the other on the north side of the City Centre Tunnel?

    C) Is it possible to place the “public sauna” at the underground floor level of the building?

    P.S. This is an old question sent to you 3 weeks ago, but we have not received an answer yet. Our team is waiting for your kind answer.

    Answer:

    These have been answered by now (please see the answers 2.5 and 3.27).

  • 2.83 Question:

    In your answer to question 2.4, it is said that the “service and loading area can be placed in the first floor or basement”. Can you please clarify what is meant by ‘first floor’. Is this the equivalent to the ‘ground floor’ or the floor above ground floor?

    Answer:

    It is equivalent to the ground floor.

  • 2.84 Question:

    1) Please could you explain again the difference between building rights and gross floor area, it’s still not clear for us what building rights represent and why they are smaller than gross floor area.

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 1.1 and 2.68.

  • 2.85 Question:

    Regarding the warehouse building, is it possible to propose an element of the library program that uses this structure, or to propose some new program for this structure?

    Answer:

    No. Please see the answer 2.55.

  • 2.86 Question:

    1) Could you please clarify where are located in plan the sections PL1700 and PL1717.5, on document 8, regarding the city centre tunnel?

    2) According to ‘section from West’, G, document 4 – can the height of the library on South be the one that appears on that section, +30m instead of the 25?

    3) The personnal office area for the clients (see p.59 of the competition programme) is situated in the semi-quiet zone, which is located in the library collections area – am I understanding correctly – does this mean that these personnal office areas need to be located in the collections area?

    4) Regarding Finnish Building Law – I can’t find anything on the website of the competition – is the regulation concerning fire-safety building code equivalent to the English or French regulations?

    5) Competition programme p.60 ‘It is desirable that the communal kitchen opens up to a lobby or similar space via a glass wall, so that it is possible to arrange a larger eating area when necessary’ – could you please explain this?

    6) Is the lobby of the office facilities included in the 300m² area that you give to the office facilities (p.60 – (…)

    A parking area is to be reserved for the carts in connection with the lobby (…))? Or is it included in the 50m² area of the staff lounge?

    7) Could you please clarify what’s the refuse store, building maintenance store and distribution substation?

    8) Competition programme p.73 – what’s the size of the competition posters? A1? A0? A2?

    Answer:

    1) In the appendixes 8 (layout)  you see numbers like 1700, 1720…. in inner wall of the Centre tunnel. The numbers PL 1700 and PL 1717,5 shows the exact place in the tunnel area wherefrom  the sections are taken

    2) Please see the programme  3.3.1, 3.3.2 and 3.3.4 and  the answer 2.2. The section in the appendix 4G shows the highest  point  +30 in the block 2015.  3) No. The acoustic zones refer to the acoustic conditions of the spaces. 

    4) Please see the answer 1.5. 5) A visual and a physical connection between the project space (equipped to function as a communal kitchen) and the lobby/circulation area, which would enable the functions in the communal kitchen to expand to the lobby areas and thus add the flexibility and multipurpousness of the space.

    6 a) No. Please see the answer 1.1 and the Room programme in Section 6.

    6 b) It is to be in connection with the lobby of the office facilities, as mentioned in the competition programme, p. 60.

    7) Could you please clarify what’s the refuse store, building maintenance store and distribution substation?

    7) The refuse store is room for garbage. Building maintenance store is for storing the building maintenance equipment.  Distribution substation; please see the answer 3.35. 8) Please see the competition programme, Section 5.3 (Presentation  technique).

  • 2.87 Question:

    hello, i wish i had known if it is possible to exceed the level +25 with specific constructive elements, for instance protective railings in the roof, elements of access to roof, solar panels or windmills

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.4 .

  • 2.88 Question:

    Is it necessary to keep the basement levels in the library building according to the Detailed town plan of the underground for the multi-purpose espace 2011?. The section indicates: -1.5, -5.5, -9.5, -13.5 but this proyect is not done yet.

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.6 chapters 3 and 4.

  • 2.89 Question:

    There is confusion about the levels at the ground level. In Section 3.3.5. of the competition program indicates +2.7 (north part) and +3.0 (south part). This information is agree with the Töölönlahti detailed town plan 2002, but in the street plan indicates +3.6 (north part) and +3.1/+3.0 (south part) and in the proposed draft of the detailed town plan for the underground multi-purpose space 2011 indicates +3.0/+3.2 (north part) and +3.1-/+3.0 (south part). Which are correct?

    Answer:

    Please follow the programme 3.3.5.

    The detailed town plan of Töölönlahti shows the guidelines of the levels. The street plans show more exactly the levels. The multi-purpose space is a draft and a possibility in future but there is not yet a real project. Levels near the library will be defined after the competition together with the planning of the park and multipurpose place.

  • 2.90 Question:

    Can traffic connection to the service spaces (maintenance service area) be placed at the second underground level undernith the central library block (level -5.5)?

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.9 and the answer 2.4 and 2.16.

  • 2.91 Question:

    3.3.2 The Planning Area “If well substantiated, the competitors can diverge SLIGHTLY from the borders in the detailed town plan …” – what’s SLIGHTLY then, 1, 5, 10 meters? ?? In an international competition of up to 300 entries for “the Heart of the Metropolis” many well substantiated ideas may well exceed the restrictions of the detailed town plan, to the benefit of both the Library and the Töölönlahti area. The appeal of the brief to keep close to tight restrictions of the plot dims without any need the high expectancies for a truly outstanding solution for the whole area; the competition might well be doomed by mediocre solutions unnecessarily provoked by too timid a brief. This is an urgent pledge to open the competition area to the west in a more generous approach, in no way contradictory to the central design principles.

    Answer:

    The answer is said in the programme 3.3.2 especially in the chapters 2 , 3 and 4. We could not answer more exactly to the question.

  • 2.92 Question:

    Dear Organiser, we know that there is a wish or request from the organiser to link the underground parts of the library to the futur underground development nearby in the park, so underground to underground in terms of vertical location. But in terms of horizental location within the plot, and if we propose that the underground areas of the library will be almost in the middle of the library plot, facing the location of the existing warehouse inside the plot, would that mean that the futur underground development will have an underground intervention under the warehouse ? or do we need to consider that this underground area of the warehouse is and will be unexisting ? and if eisting, from which underground level it can be reached ?

    Answer:

    You should follow the programme. Please look also the earlier answers.

  • 2.93 Question:

    Could you please confirm that the only place where we can’t build underground is where the city centre tunnel will be located? That is, we can build on the rest of number 3 plot (2014)? Or we simply can’t build on number 3 and 4? Thank you for your answer.

    Answer:

    You have to follow the programme.

  • 2.94 Question:

    Are all these the right points wich form the non foundation area? 1.- X 49359,8 Y:18802,7 2.- X:49391,4 Y:18809,1 3.- X:49393,6 Y:18771,7 4.- X:49361,9 Y:18765,2 In case we are wrong, could you provide us the right ones?

    Answer:

    The areas are shown in the appendix 8 “General structural plan 2.2.2009, Limitations to foundations of new buildings” . The terms in the map are translated in English on the right.

  • 2.95 Question:

    Is it possible to build until the site boundary or is it necessary to keep a minimum distance?

    Answer:

    You have to follow the planning principles in the programme.

  • 2.96 Question:

    In the Helsinki City Centre Tunnel plane (General structural plan 2.2.2009, limitations to foundations of new buildings blocks 2014 and 2015) there is a rectangle in the block nº 2014 with the legend “no foundations” (there is another similar in block nº 2015). What does it mean?, Should we take this into consideration in the design of the library building?, Is a part of the tunnel that no affects to the library?, Is the location of the stairs?, Is a hole?, Is the extraction and air-intake shafts in block nº 2014 (area of approximately 20 m2)?… Another cuestion about the reservation for a stairs connection from the City Centre Tunnel into block nº 2014: The access to the stairs is in the facade of the library building or is inside the library building?, The stairs are for people who not go to the library or for people who are into the library?.

    Answer:

    Please look the answers 2.9 and 3.68.

  • 2.97 Question:

    Is it possible to deliver to the service and loading areas through the new City center tunnel?

    Answer:

    No, please see the answer  2.63

  • 2.98 Question:

    In the the competition documents there some description of the City Center tunnel. It is positioned beneath the Toolonlahdenkatu street at the level -3.1 and the building over there will not extend below the level +2.3. we have two question: -are these levels taken from the sea level or from the ground level of the area competition?

    -how deep does the hightest level of the City Center tunnel pass under the competition area (take a 0.00 at the ground level)? - the tunnel interchange is flat under the area competition or has an iclination?

    Answer:

    1. From the sea level.

    2. Please look the sections in the appendix 8 and  programme 3.3.8 .

    3.  You need not to have that information.

  • 2.99 Question:

    Can we utilize the route from the ramp on Toolonlahdenkatu Street going underground into the City Centre Tunnel as a traffic connection to our service spaces? We would like to place the service spaces underground, and utilize the existing ramp and C.C. Tunnel as the traffic access route for said service spaces to the street level. If we cannot use them, does this imply any underground service space would require us to construct a new ramp on our site to allow traffic access to said underground service space?

    Answer:

    No, please see the answer 2.63  about the ramp. About service traffic please see the answers 2.8 and 2.16.

  • 2.100 Question:

    1) IS it possible to have a direct access from the underground tunnel to the basement of the building?

    2) Can we make suggestion for the park in front of the Library? Like proposing ramps, staircases, or ground rasising?

    3) Is the rooftop supposed to become a public destination?

    4) Can the sauna be placed on the rooftop?

    5) The Library size of 10.000 square meter: does that include circulation?

    6) Library gross area: can it grow up to 14.000 square meters?

    Answer:

    1. No. 2. You have to follow the programme 3.3.8-3.3.9. Please look the answers 2 .9 and 2.18.

    3) This depends on your design solution.   4) Yes, it can be placed.  

    5) No. Please see the answer 1.1.

    6) You have to follow the programme and please look also the answers 1.1 and 2.68.

  • 2.101 Question:

    As long as the first floor fits within the property line, is it within the competition rules to have the roof and/or upper level side walls cantilever out over the property line?

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.2-3.3.4.

  • 2.102 Question:

    Service and loading area, the driving door and the ramp must be located inside the building. But it´s inside the building (closed and covered spaces) or they could be inside the limit of the plot but like open spaces?.

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.9 and the answer 2.4.

  • 2.103 Question:

    Hi, I have a question regarding the underground car parking/city tunnel? 1. Is it correct that there are no provisions for a car park under the 2014(library) plot?

    2. What will be constructed first – library or city tunnel?  

    3. If tunnel exists first, is it possible to build on top of it? 4. If yes, at what level can one build from? For instance, on the ‘general structural plan layout’ I can see a level of -7.0m ramping to -11.6m.

    5. Do these levels refer to the finished ground level of the tunnel? 6. OR Is it not possible to build anything below the ‘ground’ datum of +3.0m on the south half of the site, meaning that any connection to the proposed underground city multi-purpose space must occur on the north end of the site?

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.9 and 3.3.1 last paragraph.

    2. The Library.

    3.-6. please see the programme 3.3.8 . The building could not be extended below the level +2.3 except the pillar foundations.

  • 2.104 Question:

    You say that it is possible to exceed slightly the building outline. Could you quantify this excess? How many metres or area?, Could be it excess in any of the fronts of the building outline?. It is possible in all plants including the ground floor and basement?. Thank you.

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.2. We  could not say more exactly.

  • 2.105 Question:

    COULD BE ONE OF THE BASEMENT LIMITS THE TUNNEL WALL?. THANK YOU

    Answer:

    Please see the programme 3.3.8.

  • 2.106 Question:

    Referring to appendix 8 there is the exact location of the tunnel, but in the same drawing, on the left north side of the tunnel, there is also a rectangular element ( area: 20 m2, more or less ) signed with “EI PERUSTUKSIA”. We would like to know what it is. It seems to be an air shaft. If so, is it possible to change its position, however inside the building?

    Answer:

    Please look the answer  3.68. The places are indicative.

  • 2.107 Question:

    In accordance with the “To¦êo¦êlo¦ênlahdenkatu_street_plan_29360_2″ (appendix 7), the Drive-in entrance to car-parking garage is placed just over the City Centre Tunnel ramp. We assume that the entrance to car-parking will be in according to the Traffic_plan (appendix 6). If not, please explain how it will work.

    Answer:

    The Töölönhdenkatu street plan shows the current ramp to the Eliel parking and service places. The traffic plan shows the future longer ramp in the situation when  the City Centre Tunnel is built. Connection to the Eliel parking will be from the same ramp.

  • 2.108 Question:

    Could the ramp that provides access to the basement of the Central Library be placed at the north of the plot, between city block no. 2014 and Töölönlahdenkatu street, exactly in the area marked in the excerpts of the detailed town plan as vp? (vp: part of the park that can be paved as a piazza… etc.).

    Answer:

    No. You have to follow the programme 3.3.9. Look also the answer  2.4.

  • 2.109 Question:

    Is it possible to place the ramp that provides access to the basement of the library outside the limits of city block no. 2014?

    Answer:

    You have to follow the programme 3.3.9. Look also the answer  2.4.

  • 2.110 Question:

    Is it possible to occasionally exceed the maximun roof height of 21 meters on the west side of city block no. 2014, so that it reaches 25 meters?

    Answer:

    Yes. Please see the programme 2.3.2- 3.3.4 and the answer s 2.2., 2.7 and 2.32 .

  • 2.111 Question:

    Could the extraction and air-intake shafts be placed inside the plot “city block no. 2014″ but outside the library building?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.9.

  • 2.112 Question:

    Could the ramp that provides access to the basement of the central library be placed outside the limits of our plot?

    Answer:

    No. You have to follow the programme 3.3.9. Look also the answer  2.4.

  • 2.113 Question:

    Could the stairs connection between the city center tunnel and block no. 2014 be made outside the library plot?

    Answer:

    No. You have to follow the programme 3.3.8.

  • 2.114 Question:

    1) In relation to the height of roof. 21 meters correspond to the eaves and 25 to the highest point of the roof. Isn’t it? Can you clarify this data?

    2) Can we to send a model to de stage 1?

    Answer:

    1. Please see the programme 2.3.2- 3.3.4 and the answer s 2.2., 2.7 and 2.32 .

    2) No. Required competition documentation is described in the competition programme, section 5.1. Other illustrative material (item 9) refers to printed material, not digital.

  • 2.115 Question:

    Can you give a detail explanation in relation to the connection between the central tunnel with the library? Is it the stair an entrance to the library or is it an emergency evacuation tunnel stair? Is it an exterior o interior element to the library? And the extraction and air-intake shafts, what about them?

    Answer:

    Please look the programmme 3.3.8 and 3.3.4 and also the answer 2.9.

  • 2.116 Question:

    We don’t know how to connect the underground multipurpose space to the library. Can we to choose any floor? Are there more information about this building to know which floor or place is the best to connect?

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.6 .

  • 2.117 Question:

    In section 3.3.6, the proposed cultural building under the Magasinsparken is described as having its lowest floor at -13.5m. In question 2.4 you say the depth for basement in the town plan is -7m for the Library site. Is this the maximum depth permitted for the Library building in this competition? Can you tell us the reason for this limit, considering the neighbouring building is permitted to go so much lower?

    Answer:

    Please follow the programme.

  • 2.118 Question:

    In question 2.13, you say the basement can exceed the site boundary “slightly”. Can the basement exceed the site boundary in all directions? Can you be more specific about how much it can be exceeded?

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.4. next to last paragraph.  We could not answer the amount of exceeding more exactly.

  • 2.119 Question:

    In section 3.3.4 you say there is an overhang permitted on the park and piazzas. Is there a maximum permitted overhang?

    Answer:

    You have to follow the town planning principles in the programme. We could not answer more exactly.

  • 2.120 Question:

    The maximum height is set up in [+21-+25]m. as the ground floor is set p in [+3]m, does this mean that the physical height is [+21-+25] – [+3]m = [+18-+22]m

    Answer:

    Please follow the programme  3.3.2 -3.3.4 and look the answer 2.2.

  • 2.121 Question:

    If we stay in the budget could we build more surface than the required? How much more?

    Answer:

    You have to follow the programme.

  • 2.122 Question:

    How important or recommended is to keep the existing masterplan for the site? Would this mean that we have to make 4 buildings?

    Answer:

    No. Please look the programme 3.3.2 -3.3.4 and the answer 2.2..

  • 2.123 Question:

    We have a question regarding the traffic solutions. We are wondering if it would be possible to connect the roads between Elielinaukio Piazza (Bus Station) and the traffic connection to Eliel garage? This would decrease the amount of traffic going through the park area.

    Furthermore we want to know if the drop-off zone south of the library will be used for dropping off visitors (e.g. by bus)? If this is the we want to know if it would be possible to move it to the west or even establishing it at the north of the library to incorporate it into the park area and landscape and make the arrival more attractive?

    Answer:

    Please follow the programme 3.3.5 and 3.3.7.  

    Please look the programme 3.3.5 and 3.3.9.

  • 2.124 Question:

    1.Considering that there is a lot of water everywhere around, we are wondering what is the water level on the plot? How deep you have to dig to get to the water level?

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.11.

  • 2.125 Question:

    IF A SPACE SITUATED UNDER +3.00 LEVEL HAS A CEILING ABOVE THE GROUND FLOOR, IS IT CONSIDERED AS A BASEMENT SPACE? COULD YOU GIVE US SPECIFICATIONS ABOUT WHAT IS CONSIDERED AS A BASEMENT SPACE (IN TERM OF MAXIMUM HEIGHT REFERS TO THE GROUND LEVEL, DAYLIGHT POSSIBILITIES…)? THANK YOU

    Answer:

    Basement is a floor that is mostly or totally underground (according Finnish Land Use and Building Act, MRL 1.1.2000.)  Please see also the answer 2.14.

  • 2.126 Question:

    Are there proposals to introduce any new tram and bus stops near the competition site, if so where?

    Answer:

    No, according to the traffic plans we don’t´t have any new stops. The railway station, Eliel bus station and the Mannerheimintie tram lines and stops are near.

  • 2.127 Question:

    Can technical And structural elements be placed above the 25 meter height limit (technical rooms, beams,…)

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.4 and also the answer 2.9.

  • 2.128 Question:

    According to the 3.3.5 epigraph:

    “According to the detailed town plan, on the east edge of the block there is an approximately 3-metre wide and sufficiently tall arcade which links to the adjacent pavement at the same ground level.”

    Could you, please specify: 1) Is this arcade mandatory or can we leave that space empty?

    1)     In case it is mandatory, how tall does it have to be?

    Answer:

    Yes. Please look the answer  3.68.

  • 2.129 Question:

    We would like to know informations about the ipotetic daily number of vehicles that will drive inside the city centre tunnel. for us it shoulsbbe very important to define our design solution.

    Answer:

    It ´s not essential by the competitors .

  • 2.130 Question:

    RE: City Tunnel The document entitled ‘Traffic_plan’ (Appendix 6) shows a ramp to Eliel Garage bisecting the city tunnel. 1.Does this ramp still lead to the car park

    2.How?

    3.Does the ramp bring the vehicular traffic down to the same level of the city tunnel and connect to the new underground road network or pass over the new tunnel?

    4.Is there a more detailed plan available of what intersections/routes will occur below ground?

    5.Can you also clarify – has the ramp been moved north of the existing ramp?

    RE: Toolonlahdenkatu Street Can you please describe the volume of traffic that will use this road. Is it only a service road? Is this the primary route to the bus station, meaning it will be heavily utilised by buses regularly?

    Answer:

    1. Yes

    2. The traffic goes on the ramp to the south.

    3. They are in different levels.

    4. The plans are not essential for the competitors. All the information you need is in the programme and appendixes.

    5. When the City Centre Tunnel comes the ramp is longer because it leads  deeper underground than the current ramp. 

    The volume of traffic in Töölönlahdenkatu street  on the north of the Library is now  7200  vehicles per day.  About at 2020 when the Töölönlahti has been built the traffic volume is 9100. When the Centre Tunnel has been built, the volume of traffic is estimated 10 000.  The volume of traffic is a little smaller in Töölönlahdenkatu street east of the Library.

  • 2.131 Question:

    Competition programme p.48 ‘According to the detailed town plan, basements cannot be built at the south ends of the blocks along the line of the City Centre Tunnel’ – could you please clarify this? On document nº 8 you say ‘the following measures must be taken into account on plots 3 and 4 in city block n. 2014′ – does this mean that there can’t be any excavations on the entirity of these plots or only in the area of the city centre tunnel (equivalent to the area marked in grey between points x=49359.3; x= 49390.8; x= 49361.9; x= 49393.6). Thank you.

    Answer:

    All the information is in the competition programme 3.3.8 and the appendix 8.

  • 2.132 Question:

    On page 49 of the competition programme document it says: ‘As a rule, the drainage and storm waters will be absorbed into the ground’. Does this mean that there is no city sewage/rainwater infrastructure?

    Answer:

    We have a city infrastructure. Please look the programme  3.3.10 and 3.3.11.

  • 2.133 Question:

    Respect the extraction shaft and the air-intake shaft and its area of 20 m2.

    1) Is this area for each one of the shaft? Will they will be 40 m2?  

    2) In the case of the shaft extraction. Affects this surface to the building from the ground floor to the roof? Is there through the building this shaft of 20 m2 from the top to down? Yes, look the answer 2.9. 3) With respect to the height of the chimney that sticks out cover + 2 m: It will be above 25 meters? or should it stand below the 25 m?

    Answer:

    There will be 2 shafts (one 20 m2) together 40 m2.

    Please look the programme 3.3.2-3.3.4 and the answer 2.9 and 2.45.

  • 2.134 Question:

    Can you provide a map or drawings that illustrate how the service access under ground works? The service access example that is given interferes with the tunnel exiting the underground high way? What other alternatives are there to allocate the service access??

    Answer:

    Please look the programme 3.3.7- 3.3.9 and the answer 2.4 and  2.16.

3. Building design guidelines

  • 3.1 Question:

    Question in the competition introductory seminar:  How much flexibility there is in the concept of the library and the room programme?

    Answer:

    Please see Competition programme, Sections 3.3.2, 3.4.2 (first paragraph), 3.4.3 and 4.1 as well as question and answer 1.2.

  • 3.2 Question:

    Could you provide a guidance by premises? A complete list of functions/premises with specific area requirements.

    Answer:

    Please see Room programme in Competition Programme, Section 6.

  • 3.3 Question:

    In the programme, in chapter 3.4.2 – staff facilities, it is described: “a “parking area” is to be reserved for the carts in connection with (…)”. Can you explain what these carts are?

    Answer:

    They are movable, lockable storage furniture on wheels (typical in contemporary multi-space offices for the storing of mobile employees personnel items). The size of these can be for example 450x700x110 mm (WxLxH)

  • 3.4 Question:

    The Event Space Lobby Areas are specified as 150m2 (Cinema) and 125m2 (Multipurpose) but not included in the overall 10,000m2 of the Room Programme. Is it assumed that these lobby spaces should be part of the 490m2 of the Cinema space and the 350m2 of the Multipurpose space?

    Answer:

    No. Event space lobby areas are assumed to be part of general lobby areas and circulation spaces of the building (for example Main lobby and Meeting and lounge areas).

  • 3.5 Question:

    Is there a range of flexibility required for the collection to grow in the future? Is the program requested in the brief already including a percentage of future new collections or we have to consider additional sqm for future growth?

    Answer:

    There is no need for additional sqm for future growth of the collection. In the future the collection will be completed with e-material.

  • 3.6 Question:

    Could you provide additional information about the library’s book material? Could you be more specific about the subjects of the collection and the relative quantities required for each subject?

    Answer:

    All information necessary for the design of the competition proposal is given in the competition documents (see the competition programme, pages 28, 59, 76-77 and the competition document 15). The collections area is not to be designed for a specific layout of the library material but to be multipurpose and flexible.

  • 3.7 Question:

    Can the personal office area (including 120 work points, 50 work stations, 70 work points) be arranged is smaller units or should it be a unique one?

    Answer:

    This depends on the design solution, but it has to be taken into account that all customers at the Personal office area are served by the fixed client-service point, laptop lending point and photocopying, print-out and scanning point and one of the lounges in the vicinity. See also the competition programme, pages 56 and 76-77.

  • 3.8 Question:

    Is the AC Machine room one space of 1000mq or several different spaces distributed on different floors that combined amount to 1000mq?

    Answer:

    This depends on the design solution and is to be defined by the competitors.

  • 3.9 Question:

    2.In the “Service spaces” part of the “6.Room programme” there is spatial requirement for the AC room of approx. 1000m2. On what basis is this area calculated and is it obligatory.

    Answer:

    This spatial requirement is a rough estimate based on precedent. The size and volume of the AC room(s) will be specified later according to the final design solution. Yes, it is obligatory to use this size of AC room.

  • 3.10 Question:

    4. Is there a specific Space Requirement Program? (e.g. Square meters/ pers.)

    Answer:

     4. This information is included in the Room programme (Competition programme, Chapter 6).

  • 3.11 Question:

    According to the “Collection’s Spatial Requirements” appendix there is 900 subscriptions of the periodicals. It seems to be an extremely huge number compared to the given 16 LM requirement. Should not this supposed to be 90 instead of 900?

    Answer:

    There is a mistake in the English translation of the competition document 15. Requirement for the adult and young persons´ periodicals shelves should be 220 LM instead of 8 LM.  Thank you for notifying this. The document has been corrected. We regret the mistake.

  • 3.12 Question:

    What does a Linear Meters of Shelf Space (LM) means exactly? Is it meant to be one meter of a single shelf OR one meter of a complete bookshelf (including 5-6 shelves) with a height of 2,1 meters?

    Answer:

    It means one meter of a single self.

  • 3.13 Question:

    Could you clarify the folowing (6. Programme): “Technical spaces Approx. 7 % gross floor area, of which the spatial requirement for the AC machine room is approx. 1000 m2, not included in the room programme area” , does it means that technical spaces = 16.000 m2 (gross floor area) x 0.07 = 1.120 m2 of which 1.000 m2 for AC and 120 m2 (approx.) other spaces? or Technical spaces = 1.120 m2 + 1.000 m2 for AC = 2.120 m2 total (approx)? Thank you.

    Answer:

    The estimated total area of the technical spaces is 1.120 m2 (7% of the gross floor area) including the spatial requirement for the AC machine room (appr. 1000 m2).

  • 3.14 Question:

    I would like to make some question about the competition. 1. How many floors undergroung we can design for the library?

    2. Have the staff of the library to enter inside the library from a dedicated entrance at the building?

    3. what kind of books will be held by bookbar? have the book bar to be inside the hall at groundfloor or can it be along others floors?

    4. could you explain how does the bookbar works? in wich way is it connected to the returns room and to the automat?

    Answer:

    1.No more than three, the lowest allowed  floor level being  -7. Please see also the competition programme Sections 3.3 and 3.4.3 and appendix 4.

    2. This is recommended.

    3. Any returned (lendable) library material can be on the bookbar. Please see the competition programme Section 3.2.3 (Collections, last paragraph), 3.4.2 (Main lobby and central public service spaces, Library logisticts and material handling facilities) and 6.

    4. The bookbar is a concept, which hasn´t been realized anywhere yet. The functional idea of it is described in the competition programme, chapter 3.2.3 (Collections). It has a physical connection to the self service return automat and he return automat room.

  • 3.15 Question:

    Concerning the programme: There is no bicycle parking allocated in the programme. Are there no requirements for bicycle parking on the competition site?

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme, section 3.3.9, fourth paragraph.

  • 3.16 Question:

    Concerning the programme: There is only a small area planned for the library collection storage. How is the library expected to handle books and media when the collection expands?

    Answer:

    Larger storage facilities are located elsewhere (in Pasila Library). Please see also the answer 3.5.

  • 3.17 Question:

    About the Service and loading area: -How many vans or other vehicles are expected to be in the building at the same time? -The six-metres-wide access for the delivery van, could be 3+3 if access and exit are detached? -Is this area used for other different purposes apart from parking vehicles and loading operations, or could its surface be reduced if vehicular movements are optimized? -Is it necessary a loading dock at a different level? -Could the service and loading area be split in two levels connected with a cargo lift, or the whole surface of 400m2 must be fully operational for the vehicles?

    About the Sauna -In the competition programme it is said that the inclusion of a public sauna should be studied. Does it mean that it’s up to the participants the decision of its inclusion in the building?

    Answer:

    There will not be large storage facilities in the building but they are located elsewhere. The items arriving by van are quickly moved to the relevant floors and the same thing happens with outward bound items. Ordered library material is transported each day between the central library and the other libraries. Additionally, there will be other deliveries to the building (for example deliveries of props for groups performing in the auditorium and elsewhere in the building).

    The loading space and platform are dimensioned for two vans so that it is possible to turn. Dividing up such a small loading space on two levels is not a feasible solution. The loading platform is usually built for vans at a height about 600 mm above the floor level. In the area there is no parking space but the vans may remain there while dealing with errands.

    See also the competition programme Sections: 3.2.3, 3.3.9, 3.4.2 and 6.

    The competition proposals shall include at least a reservation for the public sauna facilities. 

  • 3.18 Question:

    Concerning the 10.000 m² area described on the documentation, is this the area (excluded walls, partitions and facades) or gross areas (included walls, partitions and facades)? Should this surface area be considered as minimum, maximum or approximate?

    Can we know number of books expected for the library collection?

    Is there a maximum size for the documents? For example, the document 6. Explanatory text has got a maximum  length for the architectural description (two A-4) but there is not for the technical description. Must be there a maximum length also for the technical solutions descriptions?

    App. 18. Technical Engineering Report Template. What does “Extent” means? We suppose that is the envelope area of the building. In this case, the information would be the same as in section 7. Room programme (second paragraph).

    App. 18. Technical Engineering Report Template. Structures. What must be described at this section? -  Structure type. Description of the structure type (steel, concrete, how the loads would be transmitted, etc).

    -       U-values. We suppose it must refer to façade, roof and floor U-values. The structure only can act as a heat storage mean. So for the structure we understand that only would be described the thermal storage capacity and its influence in the thermal passive conditioning of the building.

    -       Utilization of passive means. We suppose that only for thermal conditioning (heating and cooling).

    Answer:

    It (10.000m2) is programme floor area, which is defined in the answer 1.1. Please see also the answer 3.1.

    Please see the competition document 15, in which this is described.

    There are no restrictions for the required competition documentation other than that mentioned in the competition documents. We appreciate the information presented appropriately and condensed.

    Extent” refers to the information regarding the size of the building as in the required in competition document 7, with the following specifications: - Calculation extent information of the building: the gross floor area and programme floor area

    - Areas of building envelope parts (external walls, base floor, roof)

    - Window areas to different orientations

    Please describe the main structures of the building, including external walls, roof, floors and window types. The structure types can be defined by providing a section drawing of these structures. Also U-values and utilization of passive means shall be defined as described below.

    U-values refer to the building envelope structures, i.e. external walls, windows and glazed facades, base floor and roof. Heat storage/thermal mass utilization belongs to passive means.

    Yes, passive means refer to utilization of thermal mass, solar shading and other possible utilization of outdoor climate effects.

  • 3.19 Question:

    Please answer to other two questions: 1_ Is it possible to divide the service loading area in two levels: ground floor and -1 basement, connected by a services elevator?

    2_ Is it possible to locate the restaurant and sauna at -1 basement, however, adjacent to a courtyard open to the sky that serves as a connection to to underground area as the intention of city plan?

    Answer:

    See the answer 3.17

    You have to make your own architectural solution. Please see the competition programme 3.3.5 paragraph 2.

  • 3.20 Question:

    1. Can service & loading area be subdivided? (… and what kind of requirements are there in relation to vehicular access when it comes to openings, parking etc.?)

    2. Is the basement level limited to a single level, or may it span two or more levels?

    3. In the program brief the cinema is listed as requiring 490m2 of space (including a 40m2 technical room), however the remaining square meters is more than ample for a cinema that is required for seating 300, are we to interpret this freely? Or is there a more precise requirement for dimensioning of the cinema?

    4. The program states that there should be a good connection between library material handling, service & loading area and returns automate room, what is meant by a good connection? Is it to be interpreted that they should be in immediate, physical connection or is it possible to have an elevator link?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.17.

    We are not sure if we have understood the question correctly. Please see the answer 3.14, item1.

    The size requirement for a high quality cinema for appr. 300 people with a high quality screening facility for both digital films and 35 and 70 mm films (archive material and different optics have been taken into account as well) is 450+40 m2. This includes the necessary empty area in the front of the auditorium. This free space allows for the optimum screening angle even on the first row. When screening different digital formats (2K and 4K), this distance between screen and first row is also very important as far as the sharpness of the projected image is concerned. The projection booth area must also be spacious enough to provide enough room for technical equipment as well as proper ventilation. Please see the competition programme 3.4.2.

    An immediate, physical connection between returns automat room and material handling space is required. The good connection from material handling space to the service and loading area can be an elevator link. Please see the competition programme 3.4.2 Library logistics and library material handling facilities.

  • 3.21 Question:

    One question about the movie theater. Is the viewing angle, between last and first row, to the lowest point of the screen? So 90 degrees means that a person is looking straight forward to the lowest point of the screen from the 1st row. Could you clarify more detailly how this vieving angle is determined?

    Answer:

    The viewing angle should be no less than 36 degrees of the horizontal vision of any patron (ideally between 36-90). The natural vertical viewing angle of humans is 15 degrees downwards.

  • 3.22 Question:

    Do you have more specific information about the Sauna to be included in the library proposal? Next to the sauna cabins and showers, we suppose there are some pools required? How many pools are required and should these be situated on the inside the building or outside in the fresh air?

    Answer:

    The pools are not required.  See the competition programme 3.4.2 p. 55 (External service spaces).

  • 3.23 Question:

    If we understood well, the library building does not require car parking space in its basements. Is that correct?

    Answer:

    Yes, that´s correct. See the competition programme 3.3.9.

  • 3.24 Question:

    Is it possible to locate the service and loading area in the basement, made accessible by a ramp included into the footprint?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 2.4.

  • 3.25 Question:

    Could you tell us the maximum length of the vehicles to be used in the service and loading area?

    Answer:

    Eight metres. Please see also the answer 3.17.

  • 3.26 Question:

    According to the Finnish building regulations and fire prevention, is it possible to have a four storey void or atrium?

    Answer:

    Yes it is, provided that certain fire technical issues will be observed in the further design.

  • 3.27 Question:

    C) Is it possible to place the “public sauna” at the underground floor level of the building?

    Answer:

    Yes it is, though maybe not very a very recommendable solution.

  • 3.28 Question:

    Can we add to the program? For example, an indoor pool/gym?

    Answer:

    This is not forbidden as long as other requirements given in the competition programme (concerning for example the building costs and total building rights) are met. Please see also the answer 3.1.

  • 3.29 Question:

    What is the surface of the civil defence shelter? Should we include this area in the GFA of the building?

    Answer:

    As mentioned in the competition programme (3.4.2, last paragraph) the civic defence shelter will be situated elsewhere, in Töölönlahti car-parking garage and the design of it is not included in the competition task.

  • 3.30 Question:

    Is it possible to position the Tecnical and HVAC room in the basement?

    Answer:

    Though not the most common solution this is technically possible and may be justified for some technical rooms.

  • 3.31 Question:

    5) Are there reasons against placing restaurant in the top floor of the library?

    6) Is it possible and advisable to distribute Staff facilities (offices, … etc.) into more floors or is it better to place them together in a single floor, regarding operation of the library? In case it is preferable placing them in one floor, is it then better to place them in lower floors or rather in upper floors?

    Answer:

    The restaurant shall be located so that it is easily accessible and that it attracts people.

    The staff office facilities should be grouped so that they form a unity (social interaction, common facilities). Staff lounge and changing and washrooms can be situated separately so that they are easily accessible to the whole staff. See the competition programme, 3.4.2.

  • 3.32 Question:

    Q1. Could you please describe the “Living Lab”?

    Q2. Which kitchen would serve the multi-purpose hall & the foyer areas if the external providers decide to close their restaurant for the day?

    Answer:

    All you need to know for the competition is described in the competition programme, Sections 3.4.2 and 6. If you wish you can search general information of the “living labs” for example in the Internet.

    It is assumed, that the restaurant kitchen will serve these areas as mentioned in the competition programme.

  • 3.33 Question:

    1.The estimated total area of the technical spaces is 1.120 m2 . Is it included in the total gross floor area (16.000 m2)?

    2. In the Room Programme, the Library collections area requires 1.600 m2. The book collection shelves require more than 3.000 linear metres of shelf space (appendix). On the other hand, space is left between the shelves also for browsing and seating groups (pag.58). Is it really possible to organize all the shelves within this small occupancy (1.600 m2)?

    Answer:

    Yes. Please see also the answer 1.1.

    It has been revised with rough calculations, that the library material collection shelves can be placed in the collections area (1.600 m2).  Part of the collections can be placed elsewhere according to the themes: for example, the children’s collection can be located in the ‘Children’s World’.  The competitors needn´t worry about finding place for every shelfmetre (this will be adjusted in the further design stages) but to design a general layout and idea of the collections area.

  • 3.34 Question:

    You say in section 3.3.9 that staff bicycles are to be accommodated within the library block. Can you tell us how many of these bike spaces are required?

    Answer:

    Approximately 30 bike spaces.

  • 3.35 Question:

    Concerning the Room Programme: What is the function of the “distribution substation”?

    Answer:

    It is a technical space (transformer substation).

  • 3.36 Question:

    Do you have any specific informations about the “book bar” conveyer belt concept ? (dimensions, sketches or diagram, staff required ? at which step ?…)

    Is it possible to place the library material handling facilities in the basement?

    By the way, since it’s said that it’s possible to have 4 underground levels, can we exceed the 800m² gross floor area limit ?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.14.

    Please see the answer 3.20, item 4. This is not recommended.

    The Töölönlahti detailed town plan allows 3 underground levels (-7,0). Exceeding the 800 m2 underground floor area is possible provided that the other requirements given in the competition programme are met.  Please see the answers 2.14 and 2.20 as well as the answer 3.14, item 1.

  • 3.37 Question:

    Good morning, we would like to know if the area of 1600 m2 asigned to the “collections zone” must be placed the required shelf LM or part thereof may be stored in the basement. Thanks

    Answer:

    The library collections described in the appendix 15 shall be placed in the public areas of the library, primarily in the collections area so that the material is easily found and used by the customers.  Please see the answer 3.33.

  • 3.38 Question:

    it is possible to better specify what we mean by a refuge area for civil protection and that size should have or the number of people placed there? thanks

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.29

  • 3.39 Question:

    Can you tell us the size (eg. length) of the largest vehicle that will need to use the loading/unloading area?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.17 (corrected 26.3)

  • 3.40 Question:

    According to the competition design guidelines for spaces, the multipurpose hall should have a free height above the stage plinth (approximately 60 cm high) of at least 5 meters. It also states that there must be an option to attach a stage gantry in the ceiling. Is the height needed for the stage gantry included within the 5+ 0.6 m mentioned above? In case it is not included, how high should the stage gantry be?

    Answer:

    It is not included.  It should be approximately one meter high.

  • 3.41 Question:

    Regarding to the multipurpose hall I have two questions:

     First, the program indicates that, both the stage and the space for the auditorum must be made collapsible. Should the plinth for scene and the auditorum be a movil mechanism  or may be made of pieces that could be saved in another space like the furniture storage?

    The second one is the following: The space occupied by the scene must have at least 5 metres. It has been demanded too a space for stage gantry in the ceiling. This space is integrated in the 5metres height of the scene or is an additional space, in the plant located above? If the space must be located in the plant above, what height and dimension is demanded for it?

    Answer:

    1) The stage shall be easily adjusted and the collapsible (folding) auditorium shall be easy to use.

    2) Please see the answer 3.40

  • 3.42 Question:

    The Competition Programme (page 50, section 3.4.1) states: “The library opens out to the exterior (e.g. café, restaurant, ‘reading terraces’ of the collections area).”

    1.Beside the restaurant, is it possible for other spaces in the library to have a secundary entrance (along with the entrance from the main lobby) connected to exterior spaces, similar to the “reading terraces of the collections area”, that can be accessed from the public surroundings?

    2. If question no. 1 is positive is there any kind of security ‘checkpoint’ necessary for these entrances?

    Answer:

    All entrances to the building shall be 1) supervised (main entrance, café etc.)  2) locked (non-public entrances) or doors to restricted outdoor areas (terraces or balconies)  which don´t enable outsiders to enter  the building.

  • 3.43 Question:

    Our library consultant looked at the English version of the “Central Library Collections Spatial Requirements” and determined the following:

    Book Storage 2000 LM; Non-fiction 1000 LM; Sheet Music 100 LM; Children’s Literature 80 LM; Children’s Picture Books 160 LM; Adult & Young Person’s Periodicals 220 LM; Children’s Periodicals 8 LM; Other Shelves 320 LM; Children’s Collection Storage 20 LM; Children’s Board Games and other misc items 60 LM.

    The total lineal meters of shelving required (if our math is correct) is approximately 4,000 LM.

    Please confirm.

    Answer:

    Yes, that`s correct. Please see also the answer 3.33.

  • 3.44 Question:

    Could you please clarify the function of the pop-up info spots space?

    Answer:

    It is a space reservation in the lobby for various, temporary light-weight construction info-spots (stands or booths) erected for example by co-operation partners for presenting topical themes or projects. See the competition programme pages 28, 54 and 76.

  • 3.45 Question:

    In competition program section 3.3.9 “The aim is to accommodate the staff bicycles within the library block.” How many places are for staff bicycles? Is there special requirements for staff bicycles places and areas? Is it possible for staff bicycle route to go through the park?

    Answer:

    There are places for approximately 30 bicycles. The bicycle stands must be such that the bicycles can be attached with locks or the space must be lockable. It is recommended that the area for the bicycle places is covered. An ideal solution would be a lockable room for staff bicycles. Please see the appendix 6, the traffic plan.

  • 3.46 Question:

    This is a question regarding the security gate mentioned on page 54. You are speaking about one security gate, which is probably located between lobby and the library zone. In order to allow book or other media shelves/tables also in the main lobby, is it possible to make the lobby part of the secured zone, and to have several security gates (one at each entrance)?

    Answer:

    It is assumed that there is no need for security gates in the library: please see the competition programme, p. 58. The library material is supplied with an electronic chip for the purpose of registering the library lending data. The security gate of the reservations pick-up area may not be necessary either, but this issue will be specified in the further design of the building. The reservations pick-up area shall be supervisable by the library staff.

  • 3.47 Question:

    In terms of transporting large artworks or stage elements from the loading area to exhibition and performance spaces, is there a minimum or maximum size of elevator required?

    Answer:

    These kind of specifications (other than those mentioned in the competition documents) will be specified later in the further design. The loading option for the stage of the multipurpose hall shall be taken into account (see 3.4.2, p. 54 and 61 as well as 6, pages 76-77).

  • 3.48 Question:

    Based on the Competition programme, we assume the Library material (books, CDs, …etc.) circulation  to work as follows:

    1) Lending: a) A book is in Library collections area – a user borrows it directly using Self-service lending automat for checking out of the book.

    b) A book is in the Library collections storage – a user requests the book via computer, the book is delivered to him via automatic book elevator to Self-service lending automat in Library collections area. If the user decides to borrow the book, he uses Self-service lending automat for checking out of the book.

    c) A book is not in the Library (it is in another library or it is borrowed by another user) – a user reserves the book via computer. When the book arrives to the Library, the user picks it up in reservations pick-up area and checks it out there as well.

    d) A book is in the Book bar – a user takes it and checks it out in the Book bar.

    2) Returning: a) In the library opening hours user returns the book to Self-service automat situated in the main lobby.

    b) Outside library opening hours the book can be returned to a Returns automat situated in the exterior wall or draught lobby.

    The returned books then remain visible on Book bar for a certain amount of time. Books are then moved to the Returns automat room where they are sorted in returns automat. After they are sorted, they are moved manually by library staff on wheeled carts to their appropriate places (Library collections area, Reservations pick-up area, Library material handling, Library collections storage or places outside the library via Service and loading area).

    Could you confirm if our understanding is correct? If not, could you please provide a Library material circulation scheme?

    We have several more questions regarding the circulation: 3a) What does self-service lending automat do and how does it look like? Is it a machine or a separate room?

    3b) Do books returned via 24 hours returns automat also go to book bar or are they directly moved to returns automat room directly?

    3c)  What exactly is Library material handling room for? What operations are carried out there? Is it one big room or is it a group of rooms? Does it require daylight?

    3d) What rooms should the Library collections storage room be connected to? (Returns automat room, Library material handling, Service and loading area, Library collections area, Reservations pick-up area)

    Answer:

    1a) Yes, that’s correct.

    1b) No. The lendable library material is kept in the public areas, not in the storage. Only less used or occasionally used library material such as seasonal products (for example, Christmas material) is stored in the library collections storage.  

    1c) Yes, that’s correct. The user checks the book out at the self-service automat located in the reservations pick-up area.

    1d) The user picks the book up from the book bar and checks the book out at a self-service automat located nearby in the lobby.

    2a) Yes, that´s correct.

    b) Outside library opening hours the book can be returned to a Returns automat situated in the exterior wall or draught lobby.

    2b) Yes, that´s correct.

    3a) It is a machine. Please see examples at: http://www.pv-supa.fi/pages/index.php?id=22&pid=1

    3b) The material returned to the returns hatch for the 24-hour returns on the outer wall of the building or in the draught lobby will go into a returns box from where it will be transferred to the returns automat room.

    3c) The room is for sorting, packing and unpacking the library material. It is one big room. Daylight is not a requirement. The material-handling room handles daily thousands of books or other material arriving to or leaving from the library.

    3d) From the Library collections storage there shall be a smooth connection to the Service and loading area and to the Library material handling as well as to the collections area. However, as not for lendable material, an immediate physical connection is not a requirement. See the competition programme 3.4.2, p. 61 and also the answer 3.47

  • 3.49 Question:

    Refering to the questions 3.14 , 3.20 3.36: If the ‘service and loading area’ is located in the basement, could the direct connection to the ‘material handling space’ (as the central circulation space) could be a possible solution? (especially when it needs no daylight and has a good elevator-connection to the upper floors) Is there any reasy why that is not feasible?

    What does “physical connection” precisely means? Could that also be achieved by an immediate direct elevator-connection for books? Is it possible to devide the ‘material handling spaces’ so that there is a part at the ‘returns automat room’ and some at the ‘service and loading area’?

    Thank you!

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 3.17, last section and 3.48 (especially 3c and 3d).

  • 3.50 Question:

    Can the return automate collect and handle material over more than one floor? Can one for instance imagine the return automate panel/slot on the ground floor and the sorting unit on another?

    Answer:

    No. Please see the answer 3.48.

  • 3.51 Question:

    What are the expected numbers for the public sauna?

    Answer:

    As we aren´t talking but about a space reservation for the public sauna at the moment, this hasn´t been estimated yet.

  • 3.52 Question:

    Is it possible to place the civil defense shelter and technical spaces in a second basement?

    Answer:

    No. The civil defence shelter will be located elsewhere and is not included in the competition task. See the competition programme 3.4.2, p. 61,the last paragraph.

  • 3.53 Question:

    Can you give us the size of the vehicles used for load and unload books and material to the load/unload area?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.25. (corrected 26.3)

  • 3.54 Question:

    Could you please clarify if the building foundations can be on poles or if those are forbidden in order not to modify the existing water flows? If possible could you please give us an approximate dept. Thank you

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme 3.3.11 and appendix 10.

  • 3.55 Question:

    1.Should we specifically use a pile foundation system in the project or are other systems acceptable? 2.What is the maximum pilling length for the project? Also, what would be the maximum basement height?

    3.What is the maximum area for the basement?

    4.We would like to know if the “fixed client service point” should solely be located on floors with the library collection or also on floors without.

    5.During the time that the library is closed, should the main hall be accessible or also closed?

    Answer:

    1. -2. Please see the competition programme 3.3.11 and appendix 10. Please see the answer 3.36.

    3. Please see the answer 3.36.

    4. Please see the competition programme, Chapter 6 Room programme, where this is described: main lobby, collection area floors, childrens´world and personal office area. Please see also 3.4.2 and 3.2.4.

    5. Please see the competition programme 3.4.2 “Event spaces”. When the library is closed (excluding the facilities like the restaurant, which have their own entrances also) the main hall is also closed.

  • 3.56 Question:

    Shall the workrooms be completely isolated spaces, so you can work at your will, hear loud music, or can it be a 2,00m separation wall, that isolates you but doesn’t allow you to be completely isolated from the rest of the library?

    Answer:

    They shall be separate rooms with standard office soundproofing.

  • 3.57 Question:

    1. In the question 3.14 you are talking about the height of 7m as the lowest level for the underground floor. Does this height refer to see level heights (as the heights given in chapter 3.3.6 competition programme) or we have to count this this 7m from the level 0 of the new library building, which is 3.3m above the see level (appendrix 4 document K_Proposed_draft_for_dtp_2011_section_from_ south?

    2. Room programme: Can you explain exactly what is ‘distribution substation’ (service spaces) and what function does it have?

    3. Can you explain in few sentences how works the system of borrowing and returning books via selfservice system?

     4. What happens with books which are returned to the automats? Can we imagine that they all go to one storage room (f.e. in the cellar) and than are sorted and placed back on its place in library collection?

    5. How works the system of borrowing books in case somebody wants to borrow a book? Does this person come to the book bar to scan it or just does it using the automats?

    6. Appendrix 17 document ’project_plan_9_6_en’. In this document on page 10 there is a drawing showing the access to the service and loading area via Töölönlahdenkatu street and the building in the block 2015, while the answer for question 2.16 and some text in competition programme document doesn’t allow for it. Taking the information form chapter 3.3.9 competition programme we are wondering how could work (what is the schematic idea for it) the possible connection/access to the service and loading area via Music Centre (because of the distance between plot 2014 and Music Centre) and multipurpose underground space (once there is no clear idea about the design and the layout for this area)?

    7. In chapter 3.3.9 competition programme there is a sentence about placing possible access to the service and loading area via north and east parts, so via Töölönlahdenkatu street. So the question is how far we can modify the section of those streets once there is a very detailed plan for them (appendix 7) and there is no space reserved for any ramps etc.?

    Answer:

    1. It (-7) refers to the sea level.

    2. Please see the answer 3.35.

    3. Please see the answer 3.48.

    4. No. Please see the answer 3.48.

    5. The books can picked up from the collections area, childrens´world or at the bookbar. The reserved books can be picked up from the reservations pick-up area. After this the books are borrowed at the self-service lending automats. Please see the answer 3.48.

    6. Please see the competition programme, 3.3.9.

    7. Please see the answer 2.4.  

  • 3.58 Question:

    We are designing the access of vehicles and we have some questiones: what is the inclination needed for the ramp of vehicles? Is neccesary to have 4.50 m also in the access of vehicles and in the ramp?, what is the minimun height in theses spaces?

    Could be possible not design a ramp and resolve the access with an elevator? In this case what should be the dimmensions of the cabin?

    Thanks

    Answer:

    The recommendable inclination is 8%, and the maximum is 10% depending also on the design solution. The minimum free height to the service and loading area is 4,5 m.  An elevator is not a possible solution.

  • 3.59 Question:

    in the program a ramp for access of vehicles is demanded. Is it possible to resolve the access of vehicles with a lift to avoid the construction of the ramp?. If the answer is possitive, what are the neccesary dimensions for this lift (L, W, H)

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.58

  • 3.60 Question:

    Which is the slope required for vehicle access ramp, according to Finnish legislation?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 3.58.

  • 3.61 Question:

    Could you give us more information about foundations and soil situation under the building. In the brief it says that we can build up to 3 floors basement, but we would like to know if there is any information on how deep the foundations of the building would go until it would hit stronger soil layer?

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme 3.3.11 and the appendix 10.

  • 3.62 Question:

    Is it mandatory to place the cafeteria and the restaurant in the ground floor of the building? (Page 35 of competition programme: “The ground floor is reserved for shops, cafes, restaurants and other customer services”)

    Answer:

    The openness and liveliness of the ground floor is the aim in the detailed town plan (competition programme, 3.3.1). However, the location of the functions in the building depends on your own design solution. See also the answer 3.31.

  • 3.63 Question:

    Is the aprox 1000m2 of technical spaces included in the 16,000 m2 of gross floor area?

    Answer:

    Yes. Please note, that 10.000 m2 is spatial requirement for AC only. Spatial requirement for all technical spaces is 7% of the gross floor area. Please see the answer 3.13 and the competition programme 6 (room programme).

  • 3.64 Question:

    1. Can the gross floor area of the building be less than 16.000m2 if all the net areas of the room program are met?

    2. Can the “personal office” area divided into pieces and placed in different floors or does it all have to be in the same place?

    3. We understand that there is a conceptual study of the underground spaces which may be subject to change in the future. Are the places of the entrance stairs and ramp accessing the underground spaces also subject to change in the future or can we assume that they are final?

    Answer:

    1. Yes, of course.

    2. Please see the answer 3.7.

    3. If you refer to conceptual study of the underground multipurpose space, you cannot assume it (for example the entrance stairs and ramp accessing the underground spaces) to be final. Please see the answer 2.1.

  • 3.65 Question:

    The surfaces provided in the ROOM PROGRAMME pages 76 and 77 from the general brief, are they usable surfaces or gross surfaces?

    Answer:

    Usable surfaces, please see the answer 1.1.

  • 3.66 Question:

    Each baby care room must be 20m2 or all the baby rooms together must be 20m2? Do we need to plan one babycare room per floor?

    Answer:

    There is one baby care room à 20 m2 in the building.

  • 3.67 Question:

    How come the building surface is much smaller than the 25.000 m2 proposed in the study of Mikko Leisti? (page 23 general brief)

    Answer:

    The room programme was adjusted to the block 2014 (by for example, removing  facilities for co-operation partners).

  • 3.68 Question:

    Good morning, we have the following questions. Thanks in advance.

    1. Is it possible to place the restaurant and/or sauna in the last floor?

    2. Is there a preference to place the staff area in the ground floor or in the basement?

    3. In the provided floorplan of the tunnel (“general structural plan layout extract”), what indicates the two different green hatches? And the dotted hatch? And the blue dashed lines?

    4. Chapter 3.3.5 paragraph 5. Could you clarify what is this “arcade” for? And its link with the “adjacent pavement? Is it obligatory to include this arcade in our design?

    5. In question 1.1 you barely explain the “building rights” concept. We asume it is not relevant for the design and we should only pay attention to “programme area” (10.000sqm) and “gross floor area” (16.000sqm). Is this correct?

    Answer:

    1. Please see the answer 3.31 and the competition programme 3.4.2 (p. 55).

    2. What do you mean by the staff area? Some of the staff facilities require natural light whereas changing and washrooms don´t. Please see the competition programme 3.4.2 (p. 60).

    3. The dotted hatches show the City centre tunnel area in the block 2014.  The green hatches are the ramps of the tunnel. The blue dashed lines shows  the stairs connections  from the tunnel (indicative location). The green checkered area shows the extraction shafts (indicative location).The blue lines in the western part of the plan in the park area shows the underground technical spaces and connections from them to the tunnel. 

    4. Due to the dimensioning of the Töölönlahdenkatu street the pedestrian sidewalk must mainly be situated in the block area.

    5. Yes. Please see also the answer 2.68.

  • 3.69 Question:

    Is The Children’s Word to be submitted divided in different zones and/or furnished?

    Answer:

    This is not required. The Children´s world shall be easily adjusted to different layouts and furnishings. Please see the competition programme 3.4.1 and 5.1, item 3.

  • 3.70 Question:

    Is it necessary to have a dedicated service elevator required for moving books between library levels and storage/delivery, or can public elevators be used in combination with security systems?

    Answer:

    No. For this public passaenger elevators are sufficient enough. Security systems are not needed. However, please see also the answer 3.47.

  • 3.71 Question:

    In terms of building ownership and maintenance, will the library be the body responsible for maintenance/ownership of all spaces in the building? Will the café/restaurant/bookshop/sauna spaces be leased or sold?

    Answer:

    These kind of issues may not be very relevant for the design of the  competition proposals and will be specified later.

  • 3.72 Question:

    Could you please clarify pg. 77 competition programme – cleaning facilities – ’10 pcs á 3m²’ – does this mean that there should be 10 spaces of 3m² distributed throught the building?

    Answer:

    Yes, that´s correct.

  • 3.73 Question:

    With regards to the storage of digital information, where does the Helsinki Central Library fit in the digital hierarchy amongst the rest of the public libraries in the city? For instance, will it be a mega server that will hold digital copies of all the books in published in the country?

    Answer:

    No. Please see also the answer 4.8.

4. Ecological sustainability

  • 4.1 Question:

    Taking into account that the building location does not enable boreholes on the plot:

    a.Can we assume a system that does not affect the aquifer of the area, i.e. a vertical closed loop. If not

    b.Can we consider an horizontal ground source heat system that could possibly exploit the water of the nearby lake? Does this comply with the Finnish legislation and the regulations of the area?

    Answer:

    a. Could you please clarify, what you mean with “vertical closed loop without boreholes”, regarding question a). As far we don’t know which type of system you mean, it is difficult to provide sound answer.

    b. All systems should be within the building site, therefore you cannot consider a system going out of the boundary of the building site.

  • 4.2 Question:

    Yleensä ajatellaan, että lähelle nollaenergiatasoa olevan rakennuksen ostoenergiantarve on luokkaa 50kWh/m2 vuodessa. Kuitenkin kilpailuohjelmassa mainitaan sivulla 61, että E-luvun tavoitearvo olisi luokkaa 180kWh/m2 (suhteellisen lähellä 2012 normitaloa). Onko siis tarkoitus suunnitella lähelle nollaenergiarakennus vai hieman 2012 määräystasoa parempi rakennus?

    Usually it is thought that the delivered energy need for a building close to the zero energy level is 50kWh/m2 per year. However, in the competition programme on page 61 it is mentioned that the objective for the E-value would be around 180kWh/m2 (fairly close to a 2012 standard building). Is the objective therefore to design a close to zero level building or a building that is slightly above the regulation level of 2012?

    Answer:

    180 kWh/m2 is given per room programme area, that is estimated in the same chapter to correspond to approximately 120 kWh/m2 per net floor area, which is the unit used in the building code. The code requirement for commercial buildings is 240 kWh/m2, therefore the target value shows an improvement by a factor of 2. It is also important to notice that the value is not the delivered energy (in Finnish ostoenergia), but the primary energy, i.e. multiplied by energy carrier factors.  50 kWh/m2 may apply for residential houses, which have far less energy intensive use compared to the library building.

  • 4.3 Question:

    Are there any required (maximum) U-vales defined by the Finnish regulation for the building elements? (walls, roof, basement, windows)

    Answer:

    The maximum U-values are defined in the building code section D3 2012. The maximum U-value of the building envelope parts is 0,60 W/m2 K, that is therefore typically not limiting energy performance design driven by the primary energy requirement.

  • 4.4 Question:

    Could you please answer the following questions:

    1. Taking into account that boreholes are not permitted on site, can we consider an horizontal ground source heat system – closed loop? 2. Concerning the wind direction included in the weather file, could you please clarify if angle 0= Facing North and angle 90= Facing East?

    Answer:

    1. Yes this can be considered, but the conditions specified in 3.3.11 are to be taken into account.

    2. Yes, that is correct.

  • 4.5 Question:

    Questions: 1. Heating energy source: a. District heating: Is it possible the new Library building to be connected to the local district heating grid. b. Natural Gas: Is it possible the new Library building to be connected to the local natural gas supplying grid. 2. Ground source energy potential: a. Nearby lake water: Is it allowed the building installation to utilize the nearby lake water energy potential via closed loop system. b. Ground soil around and below the building: Is it allowed geothermal closed loop systems such as boreholes, energy piles or energy walls to be applied, taking into consideration the geological and infrastructural restrictions of the site and if so, is there any restrictions about the depbt of boreholes.

    Answer:

    See section 3.5.1 where it is required to connect the building to Helsinki Energy district heating and cooling networks. There is no gas network available in Helsinki. As all energy supply solutions have to remain in the building site, the lake is not reachable and cannot be utilized. See sections 3.5.1 and 3.3.11 specifying ground soil restrictions.

  • 4.6 Question:

    7) Is it possible and advisable to use hybrid ventilation (a combination of mechanical and natural ventilation) of indoor spaces and is this prefered by the competition promoter for reduction of energy demand of the building reasons? 8) What number of people should we consider for each space by reason of HVAC?

    Answer:

    In the competition any specific system is not promoted, but the performance based approach is used. We cannot give any advices, but we can mention the fact that hybrid ventilation has sometimes been used in construction practice in the rooms without constant occupancy like atrium spaces. In the rooms specified in the room program the indoor climate requirements are to be fulfilled.

    See Appendix 20 specifying indoor climate requirements and design outdoor air flow rates. Some guidance is also given in Appendix 19 D3_2012_EN_extracts.pdf.

  • 4.7 Question:

    Does the Library material handling space need natural daylight?

    Answer:

    No, it is not required.

  • 4.8 Question:

    In the competition introductory seminar there was a question about the need for computer machine rooms in the building and how these could be taken into account in the energy-technical design.

    Answer:

    Please look chapter 6, the Room programme. There are service spaces: 60 m2 for IT and other equipment areas, and 50 m2 for building management monitoring and server room.

    In the energy performance calculations (stage 2), servers and other specific equipment are not taken into account as specified in Annex 19. The heat gains of Annex 19, D3_2012_EN_extracts.pdf, Table 3, are to be used.

    In the indoor environment assessment (stage 2), the heat gains specified in Annex 20 are to be used in the temperature simulations for three specified main room types.

  • 4.9 Question:

    Which is the value of delivered energy (ostoenergia) to the library building and which is the energy carrier factor?

    Answer:

    See section 3.5.1 in the competition programme for energy performance requirements and appendix 19 for energy carrier factors. The energy performance requirement is given as primary energy, which can be calculated as product of delivered energy and energy carrier factors. Therefore, the delivered energy values depend on energy carriers used.

  • 4.10 Question:

    Hi I have a few questions.

    1. In the Project plan summary 2010, the insulation values for the structures were mentioned - Wall 0.14 W/m2K - Roof and base floor in contact with outside air 0.09 W/m2K - Base floor in contact with subfloor space 0.11 W/m2K - Building section in contact with ground 0.14 W/m2K - Window 0.6 W/m2K - Door 0.7 W/m2K - Skylight 1.0 W/m2K) These values are valid for the competition?

    2. Please explain in the Technical engineering report template, under LIGHTING, “Lighting powers and lighting controls for calculation”. What do you mean by “for calculation”?

    3. What is the temperature provided by the district cooling? What kind of system is it? Is it water-based system, much the same as district central heating system?

    4. There is no district hot water supply to the site and we are to generate hot water on site?

    5. under COOLING, “networks and room cooling solutions”. By “networks” do you mean data cables? server rooms? or the layout of the cooling system?

    Answer:

    1. Please see the competition programme and the answers 4.3 and 5.18. The project plan summary shall be considered as background information all essential information being gathered into the competition programme and it´s other appendixes.

    2. Energy simulation.

    3. Supply temperature of the cooling water in the building is 10o C. It is a similar water based system as district heating.

    4. Not correct. See 3.5.1 in the competition programme, the building will be connected to the district heating and cooling networks which both are available on the site. 

    5. By networks it is meant cooling water distribution pipeworks..  

     

  • 4.11 Question:

    The room of 1000 m2 for the air conditioning is a single room or is the sum of the different distributions throughout the building. Are the 1000 m2 including in the 16000 m2?. If this refers to the concentrated location of machines, can this location be on the terrace of a hidden and uncovered way?. In this way the 1000 m2 aren´t including in the 16000 m2, aren´t they?.

    Answer:

    Please see the answers 1.1, 3.8, 3.9 and 3.13.

  • 4.12 Question:

    1) Do you know the ground source water temperature inlet – out let? 2) What is the temperature of the ground water at 10, 30, 50 ml ? 3) What is the index of rainfall ? 4) Can you give us the rule of the national building code of finland doc. D5 C4?

    Answer:

    Ground water temperature is about 7o C, but the boreholes are not allowed according to 3.5.1 in the competition programme. Max daily rainfall in Helsinki is 80 mm. Average rainfall is about 635 mm per year.

    Building codes can be downloaded from: www.ymparisto.fi/rakentamismaaraykset

  • 4.13 Question:

    Are both district heating and cooling available all year around?

    Answer:

     Yes, they are.

  • 4.14 Question:

    What is the available flow temperature from, and required return temperature to, the Helsinki district heating and cooling systems which are connected to the Library Building’s site? And what is the associated carbon intensity (kgCO2/kWh) from the district systems which should be used for calculations?

    Answer:

    District heating system is a typical high temperature system, because of existing buildings needing higher temperatures and because of domestic hot water production. District heating network temperatures enable heating system sizing for 70/40 C supply/return temperatures, however, in modern buildings significantly lower supply water temperatures can be used.

    District cooling systems enables 10 C cooling system supply water temperature (after heat exchanger to building). Minimum 2 C temperature drop is expected in the cooling system.

    Specific emission factors of district heating production have varied between 200-220 kgCO2/MWh during recent years and are about a half of this value for district cooling.

  • 4.15 Question:

    1. In 3.5.1 it states that the building location does not enable boreholes on the plot. Based on this we interpret that geothermal energy is not feasible here. Can you confirm that to be true?

    2. Is there a recommended minimum number of client elevator lifts?

    3. Is there a recommended size for freight lift?

    Answer:

    1. Yes, that is correct. However, other possible on site ground source than from boreholes is not excluded.

    2. The estimated amount of visitors is given in the competition programme, 3.2.3, p. 27.  

    3. Please see the answer 3.47

  • 4.16 Question:

    Who will own and operate the cinema and multi-purpose space? Will there be a charge for people to visit these facilities?

    Answer:

    The city of Helsinki is the owner. The library and the co-operation partners are the operators, please see the competition programme 3.2.5. The facilities of the library are free for people, but the co-operation partners may have to pay rent for using the facilities. Also, the events organized by the co-operation partners (for example film shows) can be chargeable.

  • 4.17 Question:

    1. Are there limitations on utilizing groundwater? 2. Is the lighting consumption included in the maximum e-value required?

    Answer:

    1. Yes, there are limitations, because according to 3.5.1 the building location does not enable boreholes.

    2. Yes, the lighting is included.

  • 4.18 Question:

    On page 62 it states “The building location does not enable boreholes on the plot,” does this preclude the use of ground source heat exchange?

    Answer:

    Yes, this precludes the use of the boreholes.

  • 4.19 Question:

    Is there a study available of geothermal feasibility for the site?

    Answer:

    No, there is no study available, but please notice The competition programme 3.5.1 stating that the building location does not enable boreholes.

5. Competition technical information

  • 5.1 Question:

    In the competition introductary seminar there was a wish to get all information about the new buildings around the competition site gathered in one document, and preferably as a 3D model.

    Answer:

    The architectural design of the buildings is currently about to begin. Consequently the design material is not available as a virtual model. Pictures of the designs will be placed on the competition website when the material is made available to the competition organisers.

  • 5.2 Question:

    The base map you provide is too small to fit in the board dimension (100X70) at the scale 1:2000. Is it possible to arrange a bigger base map, or an orthophotomap?

    Answer:

    The size of the required document 1 Site plan (in other words cropping of the appendix 5) is not defined exactly but is up to the competitors to decide. The board doesn´t need to be covered with the site plan 1:2000 only.

  • 5.3 Question:

    Hello, IS it possible to deliver boards with a dimension of 60 x 100 cm or A1 size?? Thak you

    Answer:

    The required size of the boards is defined based on the competition documents to be provided taking into account for example the required scale of the site plan and floor plans. A specified size and form of the boards is necessary also for the layout of the evaluation report and exhibitions of the competition proposals.

  • 5.4 Question:

    Kuinka monta tiimiä on tähän mennessä rekisteröitynyt kilpailuun?

    How many teams have registered into the competition so far?

    Answer:

    So far 360 teams have registered into the competition (situation on 10 Feb).

  • 5.5 Question:

    We would like to know if it is possible to change the freeze model picture to Black and White since the colours of it are extremely distorted and not realistic at all.

    Answer:

    Yes, the freeze picture of the virtual model can be adjusted (for example the colours, lighting, sky, surface materials) and details such as people or vegetation can be added into it.

  • 5.6 Question:

    Could you please confirm that the requirements for the submission in the first phase do not require a formal cost calculation?

    Answer:

    A formal cost calculation is not required, see the competition programme, Chapter 5.

  • 5.7 Question:

    5.4 anonymity of entrants the documents shall be marked with a “pseudonym. any restrictions regarding the character of such a “pseudonym? could that pseudonym be a number for example?

    Answer:

    There are no restrictions for a pseudonym and the competitors can freely choose one for their proposal. Typically it is a word / combination of words which may characterize the proposal (but it can be numbers as well).

  • 5.8 Question:

    It is not very clear to us, in the Competition Programme, the kind/type of documents required for the Stage 1.

    Does appendix 5.1 (page 72) relates only to Stage 1?

    and

    Does appendix 5.2 (page 73) relates only to Stage 2?

    Answer:

    Yes.

  • 5.9 Question:

    5.5 submission of entries do we understand this right: if we send our competition entry by courier, the competition entry must be hand over to the courier service not later than 16.04.2012 (“postmark”) and should arrive at your postal adress not later than 30.04.2012? are there any requirements regarding the exact time?

    Answer:

    Yes you have understood correctly. The exact time for receiving the packages sent by mail or courier service is not defined more exactly than that they must be received at the latest by 30.4.2012.

  • 5.10 Question:

    The Competition Programme states (section 5.5) that ‘Competition Entries must be DELIVERED no later than 16.4.2012 by 15.30hrs’. It then goes on to say ‘The entries sent by mail or courier service must be RECEIVED at the latest by 30.4.2012′

    How does this work? Are you saying that the submission MUST be posted or with a courier with proof of posting before 16.4.2012 15.30hrs? OR Are you saying the submission must be at Helsingin Kaupunki, Finland by this time?

    Answer:

    The latter. The entries can be submitted in two ways:

    1. The entries can be delivered (brought personally or for example by a messenger) no later than16.4.2012by15.30hrs (Finnish time zone, UTC+2) to the visitor address given in the competition programme (section 5.5).

    OR

    2. The entries can be submitted latest on 16.4.2012 to the postal address given in the competition programme (section 5.5) with proof (clearly postmarked or registered as evidence of the dispatch date) that they were handed over to the post office or other courier service for transportation on or before the closing date (16.4.2012). These entries sent by mail or courier service must be received at the latest by 30.4.2012.

  • 5.11 Question:

    What are the detailed conditions of the delivery of stage 1? At what definite time the plans has to be in your office on April 16 OR is the date stamp of the post office binding?

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme Section 5.5 (p. 75). Please ask again if there something that is still unclear.

  • 5.12 Question:

    5.1.5 required competition documents. The aerial perspective freeze picture taken from the virtual model is of a relatively low quality. In what ways is it acceptable to alter this picture? Photoshop / overlay / re-render from a similar view?

    Answer:

    The freeze picture of the virtual model can be modified, please see the answer 5.5.

  • 5.13 Question:

    Is it possible to receive the data of the “toolonlahti 3D model” in a 2000/2004 version of AutoCAD? We had some problems opening the 2007 version.

    Answer:

    Unfortunately not. If necessary, please have someone to convert the file for you.

  • 5.14 Question:

    Could we have a topographic map in ‘.dwg’ of the environment to our dispotion please ? We are looking to create a model and it will be easier for us having this document. Thanks to consider this message.

    Answer:

    This information is included in the appendix 12 “Töölönlahti area 3D-model”.

  • 5.15 Question:

    Is it possible to add the area 3d model in .3ds in addition to .dwg and .dng?

    Answer:

    Unfortunately not.

  • 5.16 Question:

    How many entries can a team deliver? Or is it necessarry to register for each entry separately? Thank you.

    Answer:

    The amount of the competition entries submitted by one registered team is not limited.

  • 5.17 Question:

    Is there any possibility to know the current number of subscriptions to participate in the competition? Thank you

    Answer:

    On 27 February 2012 516 teams have registered into the competition.

  • 5.18 Question:

    we noticed some discrepancies between the feasibility study ( projects plan summary for the press 9 june 2009) and the competition room programme. We’d assume that the competition room program takes precedent. Could you please confirm that? many thanks regards

    Answer:

    Yes, that´s right. The competition programme takes precedence over to the background information.

  • 5.19 Question:

    Hello, a question about de delivery of the project. we will send the project form italy and we will send by express courier. Must the box have the date of 16 th march? or it not need so if the projects will be deliveried before 30th april? Thanks

    Answer:

    The closing date is 16.4.2012, as mentioned in the competition programme (5.5).

    In your case the competition entry must be submitted to the postal address with proof (clearly postmarked or registered as evidence of the dispatch date) that it was handed over to the post office or other courier service for transportation no later than 16.4.2012. The entry must be received (in the postal address in Helsinki) at the latest by 30.4.2012.

    Please see the answer 5.10.

  • 5.20 Question:

    Can you respond more clearly to Question 5.9. If sending by courier what date and time should the submission boards be with the courier?

    Answer:

    The competition entry sent by a courier must be handed over to the courier service no later than 16.4.2012 with proof (clearly postmarked or registered as evidence of the dispatch date) that it was handed over to the post office or other courier service for transportation on the closing date (16.4.2012). The entry must be received (in the postal address in Helsinki) at the latest by 30.4.2012.

    Please see the answer 5.10.

  • 5.21 Question:

    Regarding the layouts (maximum 12 pannels of 70 x 100 horizontally oriented): we would like to know how do you plan to show them to the jury: will they be displayed all horizontally on a row, one after the other? Or do you plan to display them vertically on a column?

    Answer:

    The boards of a competition entry shall be placed on a table (piled) and one of the boards shall be lifted up against a wall behind the table. During the assessment the boards can be spread out horizontally against the wall and/or on the table or lifted up one by one. Due to the expected large amount of the competition proposals there will not be enough room to have all boards of a proposal put on display at the same time.

  • 5.22 Question:

    We are an architectural firm in Washington D.C. We were not able to attend the Information session on early February. Therefore, we are having our principal,and our design partner to visit the site Helsinki Central Library site. We were wondering if we could shedule an appointment with someone there to answer our questions around 2 p.m on Friday, February24th.

    Answer:

    We appreciate your interest in this competition, but in order to guarantee equal information to all competitors we cannot answer to the questions personnally, please see the competition programme Section 2.3.

  • 5.23 Question:

    What would be the size of the presentation board and how many?

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme, Section 5.3.

  • 5.24 Question:

    Is appendix 18 – technical report to be submitted in 1st stage, or somehow abstracted into the 2 A4 pages of the text report, or left for 2nd stage entirely?

    Answer:

    It shall be submitted in the Stage 1 also. See the competition programme, section 5.1 “Required competition documentation (Stage 1)”, document 6 (Explanatory text including the technical report according to the contents of the template given in appendix 18). The length of the technical report is 2-4 A4 pages as defined in the appendix 18.

  • 5.25 Question:

    1) Are the competition documents no.19, 20 and 21 meant primarily for Stage 2? Which parts of the documents are mandatory for Stage 1?

    2) Is the “Summary of the Project Plan 9.6.2011“ only an informative document or is it binding? If it is binding, what parts of the document are mandatory?

    Answer:

    The competitors must evaluate themselves which information they consider important. However, of our opinion the competition appendices 19-21 contain information which is useful in the Stage 1 already. Please see the competition programme 3.5 and 5.1.

    It is to be taken as background information only. The essential information from it to be taken into account in the competition is gathered into the competition programme, which takes precedence over to the Project plan 9.6.2011.

  • 5.26 Question:

    I have two questions: -Please specify the size and number of the drawings to be submitted for the first stage of the competition.

    -It is not yet clear how well the surface (gross / net) to design the building, 16,000 square meters or 10,000 square meters.

    Answer:

    This is described in the competition programme, see Sections 5.1 and 5.3.

    The programme floor area is 10.000 square meters and the gross floor area is 16.000 square meters. Please see also the answer 1.1.

  • 5.27 Question:

    Submission of entries by express courier:

    1. In case we deliver our competition entry using a courier service for transportation, they usually ask for a person name and a phone number to reach in case they cannot find the place/department. Could you provide this? So far we just have a postal address: Central Library Competition PL 2290 00099 Helsingin kaupunki, Finland

    2. Could you also specify the value (e.g. 100 €) and type of documents we should state (e.g. “not for commercial use”) on the package invoice in order to the entry not to be stopped at the local customs?

    Answer:

    1. The given postal address is a reception point at the Finnish postal service. It has been agreed with the post that the competition entries will be received there (mon-fri between8:30- 15:30). Thus, in this case, a person’s name or phone number is not needed.

    2. This shall be specified by the competitors. The competitors themselves are responsible for ensuring that the entries arrive in time to the delivery destination.

  • 5.28 Question:

    Is appendix 18 – technical report to be submitted in 1st stage, or somehow abstracted into the 2 A4 pages of the text report, or left for 2nd stage entirely?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 5.24

  • 5.29 Question:

    Would you please help me with the 4th part of the information on site? (4. Excerpts from the detailed town plans for the area)?

    The materials inside the zip file are broken and I cannot open them with my PDF reader.

    Answer:

    Please retry, maybe with another computer. The other competitors seem to have been able to open the files as well as us when testing it.

  • 5.30 Question:

    regarding presentation: could you tell us how you are planning on displaying the panels so we could take this into account when designing the overall layout. thank you.

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 5.21.

  • 5.31 Question:

    Regarding the 100x70cm presentation boards: shall point 6 (explanatory text) and point 7 (room list & surface area data) be included on the boards? or submitted on seperate A4 or A3 sheets?

    Answer:

    They can be included on the boards and / or submitted as separate A4-sheets. They shall also be included in the series of the A3-size reductions of all design documents.

  • 5.32 Question:

    What means “repeated spatial excerpt from the collections area” (page 72, 5.1. required documents 3. floor plans). Do you mean detailed plan excerpts? or interior perspectives/ images?

    Answer:

    We mean a detailed (furnished with possible alternative layouts) plan excerpt (excerpt of a floorplan 1:200) from a typical (repeated) area.

  • 5.33 Question:

    Hello, When the entries are sent by mail or courier service it is mandatory to put the sender’s name – address outside the packages and on the mail documents that follow the package. Is that a problem of anonymity? Should we put the competition documents in a package and then an external package with the sender’s name – address, so that the recipient withdraw the external package?

    Answer:

    No, you don´t have to worry about this. It will be taken care of that the anonymity of the competitors will be kept. The persons who receive the packages are sworn to secrecy and the wraps of the packages will be removed. (Just to mention also, that in Finland many competitors have a habit of signing on the package the contact information of the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA instead of their own.)

  • 5.34 Question:

    Could you please provide the 3D-model (from the appendix 12, file “Toolonlahti_maasto”) in 3DsMax, but with not so many polygons, a bit simplified, because we have very big problems with rendering it!

    Answer:

    Unfortunately not, because we don´t have it in that format.

  • 5.35 Question:

    Is there a special requirement for the arrangement of the boards? Do the boards need to be presented next to each other in a cronological line or can they be presentented in rows or muliple lines?

    Answer:

    No (other than mentioned in the competition programme, section 5.3). Please see also the answer 5.21.

  • 5.36 Question:

    How will the 100×70 panels be displayed like? Will the panels be positioned one on top of the other on multiple rows? or all just in one row?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 5.35.

  • 5.37 Question:

    COMPETITION PROGRAMME P. 74, 5.3 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE

    -Considering the overall layout of our presentation, we would like to know how the 12 presentation boards will be arranged for the jury? (e.g. two rows of 6 boards)

    -We would like to ask the competition organizers to reconsider the necessity to fix the plans to stiff boards. (very high production and sending cost, specially for international competitors).

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 5.35.

  • 5.38 Question:

    We would like to know how many boards are to be presented, their size and if there are any specific layout for them. We also would like to know the adress for deliver in hand.

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme 5.3 – 5.5 and the answers above concerning this subject.

  • 5.39 Question:

    would like to know if it is possible to have zenithal photography of the area to use as a base for the insertion photogrammetric the building (as google earth but high def), because the images retrievable from the virtual model are of low quality. Thank you.

    Answer:

    This has been added to the competition website, competition documents, appendix  2.

  • 5.40 Question:

    The document number 7 requiered is a “room list” (point 5.1 Required competition documents (Stage 1)). In this list two columns are included with the usable floor area and gross floor area of our design solution. Should we include another column with the usable floor area indicating in the competition room programme for an easy comparison and justification of compliance?. Could you explain us the exact composition of the “room list”?. Thank you.

    Answer:

    This is not required, but you can do this if you wish.

    The room list shall be done as the room programme in the competition programme: it is a list of the rooms / spaces included in the competition proposal in the same order and named as in the room programme (p76-77) with their floor areas marked. Also the usable floor area = total floor area (sum of the floor areas of the room list) and the gross floor area shall be given.

  • 5.41 Question:

    1) Can you provide us with as plans, elevations, sections, etc of the railway warehouse ruin? 2) Can you please provide further drawing information for the following buildings/sites: Parliament, Parliament Annex, Post Museum, Helsinki Central Railway Station, Block 2017 and Block 2018.

    Answer:

    All available information we consider essential for the design is included in the competition documents.

  • 5.42 Question:

    Dear, We would like to ask:

    1) What is the deadline (from the moment the team is contacted by the jury) for the design team selected to participate in Stage 2 to submit complementary documents demonstrating that the eligibility requirements for Stage 2 are fulfilled?

    2) Is it possible to lay down two underground pipes between the Central Library and the envisaged canal in front of the Finlandia Hall and the Helsinki Music Centre? The two pipes would be supply and return pipes to be utilized for the building’s HVAC systems.

    Answer:

    1) This shall be done as shortly as possible. The schedule for this will be specified later, but an estimation for this is a few days. 2) All possible installations have to be on the plot, i.e. off-site installations are not possible.

  • 5.43 Question:

    Could you please clarify what do you mean for “drawings fastened to stiff boards” but not “laminated”? Do you consider “laminated” a print on paper glued to a rigid panel?

    Answer:

    No. With “not laminated” we mean, that the drawings attached to the boards must not be additionally covered with plastic sheets.

  • 5.44 Question:

    Item 14, “Selaimessa toimiva on-line versio” Finlandiapuistosta does not work. One can evoke a lot of “avatars”, if that’s what you call the humanoids available at the bottom of the screen, but no real images of any park or anything. Could you please attend to this detail. Thank you, in advance.

    Answer:

    The Virtual Model of the project functions as follows: Start with selecting an avatar model (with left mouse button= LMB) and after that select the ”Finlandiapark/Sanomatalo”  with LMB on the lower part of the screen. After that a new screen will start to load where the actual model will be activated. In case the user already has got the avatars screen visible, all needed plug-ins are working properly on users system. Maybe the user has simply forgotten to press that link on the lower part of the avatar screen(?).

  • 5.45 Question:

    1. Chapter 5.4 Competition Programme. Do we understand well that the PSEUDONYM which we have to put on all the competition documents can be placed anywhere? Usually in the competitions the PSEUDONYM on the panels/boards has to be placed in the top right corner.

    Answer:

    This time the location of the pseudonym on the competition documents is not defined. You can place it according to your layout design, however in such way that it is easily noticed.

  • 5.46 Question:

    Could you explain a bit more about the point 2.9 (page 19) concerning that the designer of the winning proposal is allowed to use ideas from the other finalist designs.

    Answer:

    Please see the Competition Rules of the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA, item 15: http://www.safa.fi/fin/safa_in_english/architectural_competitions/nbspnbspcompetition_rules/

  • 5.47 Question:

    Would it be possible to recieve the freeze image of the virtual model in a higher resolution? I believe the resolution given fits to an A4, 300 DPI.

    Thank you

    Answer:

    This shall be added on the competition website in appendix 13 as soon as possible, latest on 22.3.

  • 5.48 Question:

    For entries sent by post: do they also have to be send before 15.00 h (Helsinki time) or is enough when they are sent during the day 16-4-2012 (at whatever time)?

    Answer:

    The latter. At whatever time (depending on the opening ours of your post office), but at the latest on 16.4.2012.

  • 5.49 Question:

    Could you explain a bit more what is the Engineer Report that will be considered for Stage 1 (page 62 and 63 from general brief: “the evaluation of the competition entries in Stage 1 is based on the schematic sections, building envelope area and technical engineering report”.)? Is this a technical description written by the architect designer or it has to be compulsorily written by an engineer? What should be on it? Is this part of the 2 A4 of Explanatory Text?

    Answer:

    Please see Appendix 18 that explains the content of the engineering report.

  • 5.50 Question:

    Dear sir/madam,

    We would like to inquire the following related to the corresponding Chapter 5 paragraphs of the Competition Programme:

    1.  Paragraph: 5.1.1.: Which of the two (.dwg , .pdf) files provided should be used for the 1:2000 site plan? Are we allowed to edit the files by changing colors, lineweights et.c?

    2. Paragraph: 5.1.2.: Since no car parking is to be accommodated in the Library block according to par. 3.3.9 of the competition program, the “parking arrangements” which must be included in the 1:500 site plan refer exclusively to staff bicycle parking space?

    Additionally, what should be the size/dimensions of the “site plan 1:500” (given that the base map should be cropped in order to fit on the board)? Is there a minimum area around the competition block that must be shown?  

    3. Paragraphs: 5.1.6-5.1.7.: The explanatory text and room list should be provided as separate documents included in the parcel containing the participants’ posters or as text printed on them as part of the presentation?

    4. Paragraph: 5.1.8.: At what scale should the technical conceptual sections be presented?

    5. paragraph: 5.1.5. : what must be the size of the freeze picture of the virtual model of the Filandia Park (appendix 13) in which our proposal aerial perspective would be fitted in? Should this cover an entire board?

    6. The “site plan and surrounding environment 1:2000” and the “site plan 1:500” should be aligned/oriented) as shown in the corresponding appendices (northern direction on top of the poster?

    Answer:

    1. Yes.

    2a. The car parking places for handicapped as well as short term parking and the drop-off zone shall be shown also. Please see the competition programme 3.3.9.

    2b. At least the competition area with it´s relevant surroundings. This shall be specified by the competitors.

    3. As you find appropriate. Please see the answer 5.31. 4. As you find appropriate taken into account the required information to be shown. 5. As you find appropriate. Please see also the answer 5.47

    6. Yes, this is highly recommended.

  • 5.51 Question:

    Could we insert the explanatory text in one of the boards or is it a separate document in A4?

    Answer:

    Please see the answer 5.50, item 3.

  • 5.52 Question:

    Should our user ID be printed on the pannels for easy identification? What else should be written in the pannels?

    Answer:

    No! Each document shall be marked with a pseudonym. Please see the competition programme, 5.4.

  • 5.53 Question:

    I strongly request that you do not close the questions and answers service as it is proving very helpful but entirely necessary as there are still a lot of conflicting information that keeps arising.

    Please, for the sake of all competitors keep this service active. Thanks.

    Answer:

    Thank you for your opinion. The closing of the questions and answers service is scheduled so that the answers for the latest questions can be prepared and published in time so that they are still useful for the competitors.

  • 5.54 Question:

    How closely do we have to follow the Project Plan Summary for the Press 9 June 2010? What was the purpose of using this document?

    Answer:

    It is merely background information. Please see the answer 4.10.

  • 5.55 Question:

    in relation to the question 2.42.

    There is no image called 4949-A_003_2011. The image called 4919-A_003_2011 is an aerial and does not show the ruins up close. Can you please upload pictures the show the building from closer.

    Also. There is very little image material for making perspectives. Especially since you define particular perspectives that you wish for. Please add high resolution pictures from -the direction of mannerheimintie road. -the park area north of töölönlahti street. -Other street level views where the library design can be mounted

    I imagine that it is in your interrest to get as good illustrations as possible.

    Answer:

    You are right, the answer 2.42 refers to the picture 4919-A_003_2011 (not to the incorrectly mentioned 4949-A_003_2011).  We regret this mistake. 

    Yes, it is everybody´s interest to get as good illustrations as possible. However, unfortunately pictures such as you wish are not available. Higher resolution pictures of some of the aerial photographs which already exist in appendix 2 have been added (appendix 2).

  • 5.56 Question:

    re courier shipping: We are shipping internationally and I just talked to our courier service (fedex). They cannot deliver to the postal address postal code (00099), but they do deliver to the postal code 00230 (visitor address). I would like to make sure that I understand correctly: We need to have our submission handed over to our courier service on April 16 by 15.30 (Finnish time zone) and we can send it to the visitor address (since our courier does not deliver to the postal address). The package then must arrive at the visitor address prior to April 30 in order to be considered. Thanks for the clarification!

    Answer:

    You need to have your proposal handed over to your courier service at latest on April 16 2012 on whatever time. Yes, the package can be sent to the visitor address given in the competition programme 5.5.

    And yes, the package sent this way must be received at the latest on April 30 2012.

    The competition programme, section 5.5 has been corrected: the competition entries sent by mail or other courier service shall be sent to the postal- or visitor address. Please see the new version on the webpage.

  • 5.57 Question:

    The documents should be send by email or post? if by post to which direction it would send?

    Answer:

    Please see the competition programme section 5.5 (the version corrected on 19 March 2012 on the competition website) and the answer 5.56.

  • 5.58 Question:

    Is it possible to submit entries for stage 1 (boards and required documents) and entries for stage 2 (boards, required documents and scale model) to a Finnish embassy or Finnish consulate located in the country where our office is based? In that case, does it have to be delivered at the same time that it must be in Finland (visitor address)? Would you have to inform in advance Finnish organisations of possible submissions or each participant has to do it?

    Answer:

    No, it is not possible to submit the entries to any other address than given in the answer the competition programme Section 5.5 (the version corrected on 19 March 2012 on the competition website).

Kysymyslomake on suljettu.
Kysymysten viimeinen jättöpäivä oli 12.3.2012.

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