Tapiola's eastern suburbs- conservation in practice
Tapani Mustonen, Architect, livanainen & Mustonen Architects
Experts are generally of the opinion that Tapiola is internationally an extremely valuable
model example of community planning. Many work-groups have been formed to co-
ordinate the development and protection the older area of Tapiola. Civil servants from the
Ministry of the Environment and also shareholders of housing companies, have
enthusiastically taken part in this.
From the standpoint of situation (situated between the centres of Helsinki and Espoo, near
the border of Helsinki) Tapiola faces many development pressures at the same time that in
old Tapiola, it is pondered, sometimes in court, how private buildings or dwellings will be
or should be developed. For a long time in Espoo there has been a conflict over how
public transport should be developed both in the town and the surrounding municipalities.
Whatever the solution may be, it is clear, that the pressure to build more densely the
gardenlike and sparsely built old Tapiola is growing. So called Eastern Suburbs
(Itäkartano, Otsolahti, Itäranta) suffer of lack of parking spaces and the increase in
through traffic of the old neighbourhoods. Luckily from the point of view of traffic the
original suburbs are distinct islands, so that it is possible to separate them from the greater
changes affecting community structure and preserve the areas and their internal structure
in their unified and original form, as a kind of reservation.
If we study the previously mentioned suburbs, it is possible to see that many things have
changed since the area was built. Steeply rising costs of building land and property prices
lead to the maximisation of existing building rights. The old area development plans still in
use are not very specific in their regulations and so there is often the possibility for old l
ayouts to negate modern practice and this is very often in clear contradiction to the spirit
of the layout plan. The uncompromising exploitation of building rights creates buildings
very distant from the original principles involved. The best example of this is possibly the
Koulukallio housing, these lean-to-roof, stylish rowhouses by Viljo Rewell, where the
possibility to extend the ground floor has created a bitter argument which has lasted many
years.
The element system of building where new materials were developed and experimented
with was widely used in Tapiola. Some of the materials used have disappeared from the
market because of development production techniques or because some of them were
dangerous. This has happened to among others asbestos cement sheets which were
widely used as a facing material. Materials to replace them are sometimes hard to find.
The buildings of Tapiola’s eastern suburbs form there own housing companies. They are
in part single houses, but some of them are made up of a group of houses. In this way
residents are responsible for the development of the buildings and their upkeep. During
the last three years it can be empirically noticed, that many housing companies have
carried out major internal and external repair works. Unfortunately too often the grounds
for this solution, the planning and building of this renovation work is based on a short
sighted economy.
THE FUTURE OF THESE AREAS
Tapiola’s older suburbs and the preservation of their buildings identity requires clarification
concerning the co-operation between the various parties involved, enlightenment of
attitudes and guidance. Co-operation and co-ordination between various authorities (town
planners, building inspectors, The Town Museum, The Centre for the Environment) should
be improved. House managers of service companies, management personnel of housing
companies and individual inhabitants should be offered information and instruction
concerning their dwelling areas, and also the practicalities of building and conservation.
So that co-operation between separate parties could be improved and above all that there
exists a comprehensive assessment of the state of buildings in the eastern suburbs.
Espoo Town Museum ordered a report to be made. The report studied different sections of
the buildings (e.g. facade materials and staircases) their authenticity and any changes that
had been made to them. The target buildings constituent parts, and whether the original
materials had been preserved was judged both verbally and numerically. The report gave
the various authorities an overall picture of the state of the buildings in the Eastern suburb,
the continually growing need for renovation and good directions as to its desirability. The
results of the report were given to among others the house managers.
Espoo’s Town Planning Department had begun making new town plans for the eastern
suburbs. To support this work it ordered in the year 2000 a continuation of the above
mentioned report. A separate evaluation report, which was intended to make clear each
target buildings historical, architectural and environmental value, to use this to create an
overall picture and to aid the planning proposal, in which the buildings would be treated
with great individuality. These evaluation plans will be continued in the future in other
areas of old Tapiola.
The preservation of individual buildings is affected by many simple practical matters. The
house managers and the enlightenment and concern of the housing companies depends
very much, among other things, on how well upcoming renovation projects are planned
and carried out. This matter is not helped by the changeover to the new generation at
present taking place in housing companies. To the new inhabitants Tapiola and the local
spirit do not mean the same as to its original inhabitants. Peoples needs have also greatly
increased since it was built in the 1950’s. Estate agents have also in many cases
advertised the dwellings using to the maximum the old layout plans allowance for
extensions.
It remains to be seen, if it will be possible to arrange either with aid from the Ministry of the
Environment or the EU, the formation of a small Tapiola group, consisting of
representatives from various authorities which would specialise in such matters as town
planning, building supervision and preservation questions concerning the Tapiola suburbs.
This type of group of experts could also perhaps, succeed in supplying information to
inhabitants and directing its present environmental development and preservation.
