Dixi, the Tikkurila Commercial and Travel Centre

The Tikkurila Commercial Centre and Station, or Dixi, is a multi-functional building which hosts the Tikkurila travel centre, bus terminal and railways station, a shopping centre, office facilities and parking. The central location and size alone make Dixi a demanding project. But on top of this, a host of new developments, still functioning transport routes and heritage buildings each add a new stage of complexity to both the design and construction. In order to respond appropriately and responsibly to the site situations, the planning of the project was done in corporation with the Urban Development Unit of the City of Vantaa.

The site itself posed challenges from the beginning. It is located on a very narrow strip between the train tracks and the Tikkurila centre but also becomes closely intertwined with a series of other redevelopments taking place in the heart of the city. In the immediate vicinity of the project are also buildings from the 1950s which are protected in the detailed plan; for example, the newly renovated Vantaa Town Hall. The design also has taken into account the adjacent old station building, which is one of the oldest stone-structured station buildings in Finland.

The area’s redevelopments have led the station to become an important interchange station for the country; it is now among the three biggest stations of Finland. Added to this, the busy bus terminal serves passengers on the ground level of the project. Throughout the project the train station remained open. This was managed, in part, through phasing the project which in itself brought up new issues. The commercial aspects of the first phase are required to be in use while the second phase is under construction.

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects were involved in discussions on the infrastructure layout, and the relationship of transport routes to the site, from the very beginning. This led to a series of studies on the how the proposed building would interact with the train line, the bus routes, the road and also pedestrian access. The focus at this stage was making the site as accessible as possible from the various modes of transport. Dixi approaches these challenges by responding to the increased densification of the urban environment in layers.

The main commercial centre houses the primary functions, and takes its place sandwiched between the railway lines and the road. The comings and goings are managed on the ground level and the pedestrian route is raised above this. The transport routes, which once separated both sides of the city, are now connected through the station bridge.

Photos: Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy

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