Lippulaiva, the new mixed-use centre owned by Citycon, opened its doors on 31 March in Espoonlahti near Helsinki. Lippulaiva is a thriving urban centre for local services and boasts approximately 100 different shops, cafés and restaurants as well as private and public services. The shopping centre will be visited by an estimated eight million customers annually.

Lippulaiva houses one of the most extensive grocery retail clusters in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Grocery stores account for approximately 45 per cent of Lippulaiva’s 44,000 square metres of gross leasable area. In addition, Lippulaiva is also home to more than 20 cafés and restaurants and will create a culinary experience in the community with both domestic operators and international chains. Lippulaiva will also offer a wide selection of services and functions, such as the Espoonlahti regional library, English-language daycare centre Pilke Playschool, fitness centre Elixia and Terveystalo’s medical centre, which is one of the largest private health care providers in Finland.

Its many sustainable energy solutions make it possible for Lippulaiva to participate in the SPARCS project. Lippulaiva is one of the demo sites in the Espoo lighthouse city. The three main themes of the Lippulaiva project are energy production and storage and intelligent scaling strategies, promotion of electric-powered modes of transport and the inclusion of residents of the city.

The Lippulaiva centre utilizes new energy solutions from day one. The shopping centre hosts the largest geothermal heating and cooling energy plant in Europe for a commercial building, built under Lippulaiva. The regenerative geoenergy system covers 100% of the cooling demand and almost the entire heat demand of the shopping centre and residential buildings nearby, leaving only a fraction of heat to be sourced from the district heating grid in case of prolonged cold weather. Excess heat recovered from summertime air conditioning and refrigeration systems is injected into the geoenergy field, increasing the capacity and efficiency of the system. PV panels installed on the roof and façade provide clean on-site renewable electricity.

Lippulaiva is an important mobility hub comprising a metro station, bus terminal and facilities for cycling and e-mobility. The West metro line extension will start operating in 2023. Ecological modes of transport are also supported by offering parking spaces for about 1,400 bicycles. In addition, there are more than 130 EV charging stations in Lippulaiva.

Citycon has also engaged citizens, and young customers in particular, to participate in the co-creation of the new shopping centre. Buddy class and buddy family collaboration will continue with local citizens.