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The community-focused learning centre brings together Swedish-language services in Western Vantaa

Mårtensdals bildningsrum

Location: Vantaa
Area: 4400 m²
Client: City of Vantaa
Completion year: 2026

Mårtensdals bildningsrum is a building complex that brings together Swedish-language educational, cultural and leisure services in Vantaa. The building houses a Swedish-language primary school and daycare centre, as well as Folkhälsan, which organises activities promoting wellbeing, ranging from afternoon clubs for children to youth services and activities for senior citizens. The facilities also accommodate the Vantaa Music Institute, while the school library is used extensively for Swedish-language activities and events.

The shared facilities provide a setting for close collaboration between the different operators and strengthen Martinlaakso’s role as a meeting place for the Swedish-speaking community in Western Vantaa.

Olla designed the extension and renovation of the building. The school building, completed in 1977, was extended with a new wing on its northern side. The extension houses a daycare centre, pre-primary education facilities, a new regeneration kitchen and administrative spaces. At the same time, the existing school building was comprehensively renovated to meet current functional, technical and pedagogical requirements.

The three-storey extension is adapted to the sloping site and integrates naturally into its surroundings, while providing functional and accessible connections throughout the building complex. As the environment is intended for children and young people, the building volume has been divided into smaller sections to create a lighter overall impression and a more human scale.

The warm-toned cladding of the extension forms a distinctive counterpart to the rough facade of the original school building. The varying rhythm of the timber boards brings vitality and visual interest to the building’s appearance.

The warm-toned, translucent-treated timber façades and varying rhythm of the timber boarding create a lively surface that changes with light and shadow. The vertical character of the façades draws inspiration from the abundant trees on the site. The solution reinforces the building’s public identity and gives it a distinctive architectural expression.

The design also responds to the site’s particular conditions. The courtyard and building area, constrained by aircraft noise restrictions, has been used efficiently through carefully optimised courtyard, traffic and service arrangements. The courtyard serves both the school and daycare centre, with particular attention given to safety, functionality and the preservation of the green environment.

The renovation and extension form a coherent whole that enhances the building’s functionality, sense of community and longevity. Mårtensdals bildningsrum provides high-quality facilities for learning, hobbies and social interaction, bringing the Swedish-speaking community together under one roof.