Eliel Saarisen tie

The public transport road of Eliel Saarisen tie passes through Haaga. In the area of Huopalahti Station, the road section was built as a covered tunnel. To the delight of the area’s residents and passengers at Huopalahti train station, the roof of the 300-metre-long public transport tunnel was covered with vegetation. The cover structure is punctured with light holes. Vegetation covers the concrete-built tunnel in square-shaped fields. Sand ryegrass, purple moor-grass, reed canary grass and bush grass alternate in the squares, some of which wilt when autumn comes and some flourish through winter. 

The impact of noise and changing lighting to the nearby area has been minimized by barriers and concrete beams on both sides of the road. In the bus stop area below the station the walls of the stops are tiled recognizably in yellow, green, red and blue. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic lanes descend to the transfer stop area on both sides of the tunnel structure. In the direction of the pedestrian areas, the walls of the tunnel were cladded with wooden structures. Wood was also used in noise barriers, as well as grating for the light holes. 

More information:

Arkkitehti – Finnish Architectural Review. 1/2004. Betonia ja viherruutuja / Concrete and green checks. Pia Ilonen ja Minna Lukander.