The Otaniemi campus is a lively and refreshing place. There is plenty to see and experience, such as diverse nature and campus art. Below you can find a tour, which you can take independently while exploring the surroundings. The theme of the tour is campus art and attractions and outdoor recreation.
The attractions and outdoors route takes you to some of the most important artworks and other attractions on campus. The route is approximately 3 kilometres long and should take between 45 and 50 minutes to complete. The route starts from the decaying tree art near the Harald Herlin Learning Centre, and goes around the Laajalahti beach to Ossinlampi and back to the campus centre.
1. Decaying tree art (2022)
The artwork illustrates the end of an old lime tree's life cycle, both as decaying wood and as a memory of historical layers, as well as a tribute to the valuable, central foliage of the new and old campus area. The artwork and the plantings on Korkeakouluaukio were designed by Malin Blomqvist, Rosaliina Luminiitty, and Elina Kataja, MASU Planning Oy.
More about the artwork: /en/news/new-decaying-wood-artwork-on-the-otaniemi-campus
2. Baptiste Debombourg: In Motion (2024)
The In Motion artwork is designed for a location where people pass by at different speeds. Due to its stainless-steel wavy surface, the image reflected by the artwork is always unique and different depending on the time of year and time of day. The artwork, part of Aalto University's public art collection, continues in the building's lobby.
In Motion is part of Kide building’s (Konemiehentie 1) Waves in-between/In-between waves public art collection. More information on the collection: /en/research-art/waves-in-betweenin-between-waves-art-collection
3. Laajalahti bird tower
One of the two bird towers in the Laajalahti nature reserve is located along the nature trail off Konemiehentie. From the top of the tower, you can enjoy the views or observe birds, and sometimes also observe the grazing cattle in the area.
Walking meetings and outdoor lunches also offer wonderful opportunities to enjoy the tranquillity of the area. The Laajalahti nature conservation area functions in its entirety as a local recreation area in Otaniemi.
4. Pekka and Teija Isorättyä: Lovegear (2023)
Start the gears by pressing the button!
Lovegear is a playful artwork with a central theme of the scales of mechanical and digital technology and the beauty of machines. The kinetic Lovegear light artwork's moving gears create an illusion of continuity on the facade of the K2 building (Puumiehenkuja 3), using light and glass surfaces. The artwork is most striking at night, as the lights and glass surfaces bring out its illusionary effect.
More information about the artwork and the artists:
5. Power Plant (2015)
Power Plant is a light artwork made by Aalto University students Petteri Mäkiniemi, Guy Dowsett, Aku Rouhi, and Tea Dickman, which reacts to sound. The artwork draws inspiration from climbing ivy on the façade of A Grid (Otakaari 5).
The artwork reflects the university's diversity and the importance of collaboration and multiculturalism. The work has two microphones, and by speaking into the microphones, the work flashes more lights, symbolising the power of collaboration.
6. Huoju|A| (2024)
Huoju|A| is a wooden pavilion designed to be constantly in motion: its modular structure allows for easy assembly, dismantling, and movement, and the pavilion itself consists of hanging wooden elements that sway in the wind or with touch. The use of waste materials enhances the artwork's ecological sustainability. The pavilion was designed and built in the Timber Studio course in 2023-2024.
More information about the artwork
7. Alvar Aallon puisto (park)
At the heart of many campus events is a park named after the architect Alvar Aalto in 1972, where the entire campus community often gathers several times a year. In his designs, Aalto sought to create tense spaces not only between buildings but also between the built environment and landscape. The park is the most important open, maintained landscape shaping the historic campus environment, with its location especially interacting with the Undergraduate Centre and the Harald Herlin Learning Centre.
More information about the park's name /fi/uutiset/otaniemi-nimen-taustalla-mystinen-menneisyys#2-alvar-aallon-puisto-vai-alvarinaukio-
8. Amphitheatre square
The amphitheatre is one of the most popular photography spots and iconic landmarks on the Otaniemi campus. The amphitheatre and its square serve as a resting and meeting place, visible from afar, as it is located on one of Otaniemi's seven hills. When planning Otaniemi, the guideline has been that no building must rise higher than the amphitheatre.
You have now arrived at the end of this tour at the festival square next to the amphitheatre. Thank you for participating in the tour.
The design guidelines for the outdoor areas of the Otaniemi campus has been published. Its purpose is to provide guidelines for the development of outdoor environments that support the university's functions and the wellbeing of nature and people.
