The Ikituuri student housing tower is situated on a visible spot on the curve of one of the approach roads to the centre of Turku. The cylindrical-shaped building with lively copper façades marks the edge of the student village in the townscape. It has a cylindrical shape and lively copper façades. The principal architect of the building was Pekka Mäki. The building was meant to be 8-storeys, but during the design, it grew to 12 storeys.

The student residential tower is designed for single housing and couples. The accommodation is just like in an ordinary apartment block. Details, such as the bright green signature colour in the stairwell and the convivial, tall and light-filled bicycle storage spaces tell about the young inhabitants, but the sauna suite on the top floor and the large roof terrace are the only common spaces. Landry rooms and other everyday common spaces have been omitted.

The elliptical planform is very efficient. The centrally placed staircase feeds as many as eight apartments. The technical infrastructure has been placed in the walls of the stairwell. The apartment types are repeated as mirror images, and their size and proportions vary depending on their location.

The design is based on a winning entry by SIGGE Architects in an architecture competition in 2007. The principal architect Pekka Mäki was assisted by Jani Vanhala, Rauno Lehtinen, Petri Vainio-Ketola, Vesa Loikas, Klaus Malmberg, Soili Kahlos, Johanna Kuurila, Ville-Veikko Heikkilä, Milla Lammervo, Rasmus Linden, Henna Huttunen, Aura Pajamo and Lauri Salo.

Text: Finnish Architectural Review 4/2011