The conference will take place at Dipoli, located in Otaniemi, Espoo, at the heart of Aalto University’s campus. Otaniemi is Finland’s leading hub for science, technology, and innovation. The area is easily accessible by public transportation and is well-connected to Helsinki and the surrounding regions.
The address the venue is:
Otakaari 24
02150 Espoo
+0505112195
reception@aalto.fi
Website
Designed by Reima Pietilä and Raili Paatelainen (later Pietilä), Dipoli was completed in 1966 and served as the student house of Helsinki University of Technology for a long time. After that, Dipoli served as a conference centre for several decades. It was previously renovated in the 1980s. The second renovation of the 11 000-square-metre building took two years and was completed in summer 2017 as the Aalto University main building.
Many of the facilities were restored to their original appearance, such as staircases that had been closed were reopened, roof windows that had been covered were uncovered, and unnecessary partition walls were taken down. The seven fireplaces in the building were renovated and the shiny granite floor installed in the 1980s was given a matt surface, which goes better with the interior. Some of the concrete walls that had been repainted were restored to their original appearance. The air-conditioning and heating systems were replaced: today, geothermal heat is used to cover around 50 per cent of the heating requirements in the building.
Approximately one percent of the renovation costs was spent on the university’s art acquisitions in accordance with the art percentage principle. Dipoli’s art collection’s concept is Radical Nature.
Known for its multifunctional spaces, the building continues to function as a meeting place. In addition to being used for the university’s own events, its facilities are also open to the public. Dipoli can host dinners for up to a thousand people or up to 30 separate events simultaneously. The bedrock and surrounding forest have inspired the sculptural copper and granite facade, which is a Finnish architectural gem.
