The district of Toukola in Helsinki is a residential area of this vibrant cultural, artistic, educational and creative city. It is also home to a new residential complex, at 9 Lontoonkatu, a minor road near the sea. The complex was designed by Kirsi Korhonen and Mika Penttinen, and it consists of two buildings: a nine-storey tower and a four-storey edifice in a u-shape that creates a central open courtyard-like space. The 62 apartments range from single-room flats (33 sq m) up to more spacious three-bedroom options (85 sq m). Each unit has a terrace that provides an important extension to the internal space. Perhaps the most innovative aspect is the external cladding for the tower block, as it has new 3D panels made with Rieder’s fibreC. It is the first such use of this material. These panels fit aesthetically with fibreC cladding, although the appearance of these new 3D panels, which can be up to 10 cm thick, is more solid or monolithic. These elements are made of self-compacting concrete (SCC) combined with glass fibre. Production involves pouring the mixture into moulds that can be customised according to design requirements, opening up an array of possible shapes. There are also options for surface colours and structures. Both sides are finished, ensuring high quality, and relief patterns can be created using special moulds. For the 9 Lontoonkatu complex, 400 panels in 16 different types were produced, ranging in size from 70x90 cm to 120x380 cm but with a standard width of 7 cm. The panels were all smooth on both sides, with holes in a regular pattern. Functionally, they act as sunscreens, while also providing both privacy and transparency for the terraces.
