What will Port of Turku’s new terminal look like?

The winner of the architectural competition will be announced after 1 May

On 4 March, the Finnish City of Turku revealed the finalists of the architectural competition seeking the best design idea for Port of Turku’s new passenger terminal. The three finalists, according to the municipal website, are the Aallonharja, Fokka and Origami proposals.

“All proposals were of an architecturally high standard and showed that the designers paid close attention to the goals of the competition program and the needs of the client. The choices made now are based on a long and thorough deliberation, in which the work of the jury was supported by the analyses of various experts,” explained Erik Söderholm, CEO of Turku Satama Oy and Chairman of the competition jury.

Ensuring smooth passenger flow

In a press release, the City of Turku disclosed that the shipping companies which will use the new terminal have all underlined the importance of designing a building that promotes the efficiency of shipping operations. More specifically, they have stressed the significance of functionality and customer experience.

Expanding on this, the Regional Director of the shipping company Tallink Silja, Nina Honkaranta, shared that up to 10,000 people will travel to and from the terminal every hour. As such, its design must promote the smooth flow of passengers.

The terminal manager of the shipping company Viking Line, Peter Forsberg, also stressed the importance of considering this factor, noting that one’s travel experience begins at the terminal.

The 3 finalists will now work on honing their proposals until May Day (1 May), after which the jury will announce the winner of the competition and the designer of the new terminal. To view the proposals that have made it to the final stage of the competition, see the gallery above.