Pia Svensk appointed director of retail concept development to Kalasatama centre
Press release
29 March 2012
Pia Svensk has been appointed as SRV’s new director of retail concepts from 2 April 2012. Svensk will lead the development and design of the retail concepts and renting of retail premises on SRV’s megaproject Kalasatama centre. Svensk has an extensive experience from Stockmann Group, both form international and domestic operations, most recently as a department store director.
“Kalasatama centre is this decades most significant project for SRV. In addition to extensive housing construction, the traffic hub of East-Helsinki and Helsinki city centre offers excellent commercial opportunities. Approximately 100.000 people live in the centre’s coverage area. Pia Svensk has a strong background in commercial management positions and she will bring firm vision to the design of Kalasatama’s commercial centre”, says Juhani Katko, project director of Kalasatama centre.
The city of Helsinki held a competition for the design and construction of the new centre of Kalasatama and SRV was selected for the implementation in last spring. The Kalasatama centre will comprise six apartment towers built around the Itäväylä highway and the metro station, as well as a commercial centre and hotel and office high-rises. The highest of the tower blocks will rise to 126 metres. Itäväylä and the metro will be covered with an expansive green deck. SRV developed a bridge solution that enables building dense housing on the entire block. Residential units for more than 2000 people will be built in Kalasatama centre. Centre will also include public premises, for example a social and healthcare service facility for the city of Helsinki.
“Kalasatama centre will form a new areal centre for downtown Helsinki, and its commercial services will link it to the surrounding neighbourhood. The best shopping centre in Helsinki might not be built yet- I’m confident it will be erected in Kalasatama! This project offers great opportunities and it will change the silhouette of the entire city. It’s exhilarating to be part this right from the beginning, “Svensk says.
Construction work started in August 2011. The commercial centre and first apartment tower will be completed at around mid-decade. Rest of the project will be completed in phases by 2021. It is estimated that the project will contribute about one billion euros to SRV’s revenue over a period of ten years.
SRV Group Plc
Taneli Hassinen
Vice President, Communications and Brand
Further information:
Juhani Katko, Project Director, tel. +358 (0)20 145 5601