Maunula is located in the northern suburbs of Helsinki. The area has suffered from social problems due to high unemployment rate, large number of low-income families and challenges of immigrant integration.

Maunula Community Centre houses a library, a youth centre and adult education premises. The design process and the architects’ working methods piloted local democracy championed by the City of Helsinki. The architects organised multiple workshops to gather information and to discuss the design principles and the organisation of spaces with the client organisations, Maunula residents and future users. Resulting from the participatory design process is, for example, the girls’ room which enables also Muslim girls to use the youth centre facilities. Another example is the lobby café run by local youth.

Maunula Community Centre was presented under the theme ‘People Make the Library’ in the Mind-Building exhibition at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Location

Metsäpurontie 4, Helsinki
60.230723, 24.9329546

Images

Maunula Community Centre
Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
Maunula Community Centre
Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
View from the main entrance down to the library, Maunula Community Centre
View from the main entrance down to the library, Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
Library, Maunula Community Centre
Library, Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
Children's section of the library, Maunula Community Centre
Children's section of the library, Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
Library, Maunula Community Centre
Library, Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
View from the adult education premises' balcony towards the main lobby, Maunula Community Centre
View from the adult education premises' balcony towards the main lobby, Maunula Community Centre (© Mika Huisman / K2S)
Ground floor: library and entrance to the adjacent supermarket, Maunula Community Centre
Ground floor: library and entrance to the adjacent supermarket, Maunula Community Centre (© K2S Architects)
Entrance floor: lobby, multipurpose hall and youth centre, Maunula Community Centre
Entrance floor: lobby, multipurpose hall and youth centre, Maunula Community Centre (© K2S Architects)
Top floor: adult education premises, Maunula Community Centre
Top floor: adult education premises, Maunula Community Centre (© K2S Architects)
Section: library hall, Maunula Community Centre
Section: library hall, Maunula Community Centre (© K2S Architects)
Design for the girl's room by Saara, 16, in a design workshop, Maunula Community Centre
Design for the girl's room by Saara, 16, in a design workshop, Maunula Community Centre (© K2S Architects)
Questions raised by a design workshop, Maunula Community Centre
Questions raised by a design workshop, Maunula Community Centre (© K2S Architects)

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