The workshop will take place at Aalto University’s Otaniemi campus, in the Helsinki metropolitan area (Finland). The main building and other parts of the main campus were designed by famous architect Alvar Aalto. The university is named after him, following its creation in 2010 from a merger between the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Aalto University is located in the Otaniemi peninsula, about 10 km from downtown Helsinki, and is easily reachable by public transportation from within the Helsinki metropolitan area. This includes the new West Metro line (Länsimetro), which connects Otaniemi directly to Helsinki city center in just a few minutes. Aalto University also owns several buildings in downtown Helsinki.
The workshop will take place in the main building of the Aalto Otaniemi campus (address: Otakaari 1, 02150 Espoo). Most of the sessions will take place in the U-wing, room U119 (“Deloitte”). The rump sessions will be split into room U119 and an adjacent room, U121b (“EY”).
Click here for detailed instructions about how to reach the workshop venue.
Transportation
Helsinki airport has direct flights to many cities in Europe, including most of the major ones. It also has connections to the main international air hubs, both in Europe and overseas. Finnair provides regular and frequent flights to Europe, America and Asia. Norwegian and SAS are low cost companies flying to European destinations which operate in Helsinki airport.
Safe and efficient public transportation is available within the Helsinki metropolitan area with HSL, which integrates local trains, buses, metro and ferry services. The West Metro (Länsimetro) line offers very fast and direct transportation to the Otaniemi campus from downtown Helsinki.
To reach Otaniemi from Helsinki airport one can either take a taxi (circa 30 min and 40 EUR) or use the train + metro (circa 1h and 5.50 EUR). Daily commuting between Otaniemi and downtown Helsinki is very fast with the metro (circa 10 min, faster than with a taxi).
To reach Helsinki or Otaniemi from the airport using train and/or metro, you need to purchase a zone-2 ticket (there are machines next to the platform) and get on the train from the airport towards Helsinki. Go all the way to the Central Railway Station (“Rautatientori” station) which is the last stop. If you are staying in downtown Helsinki, you can either walk or use metro/bus/tram to reach your accommodation. The transportation system in the Helsinki metropolitan area (HSL) has a website where you can check schedules and plan your trip (hsl.fi). Google Maps is also a reliable way to plan your trip.
If you are staying in Otaniemi, switch to the metro system in the Central Railway Station. The metro is very easy to navigate since there is only one line (or actually, something like a doubly-degenerate line). All the trains in direction Matinkylä or direction Tapiola stop in Otaniemi. There, you can get out of the station through two exits. The most convenient one is the “Otaniementie” exit. From there, it’s a 5 minute walk to the Radisson hotel.
If you are planning to commute often between downtown Helsinki and Otaniemi, consider purchasing a zone-2 daily ticket for the duration or your stay.
Another way to enjoy your stay in a healthy (and cheap) way is to use the City Bikes service. City bikes can be found all around Helsinki and Espoo (including Otaniemi) and they are available in particular next to metro stations. If the weather accompanies, the bike trip from Helsinki to Otaniemi, makes for a lovely ride. Finland and, in particular, the Helsinki metro area are filled with bike lanes which make cycling very safe (and often faster than surface road transportation during peak hours).
Accommodation
On-campus accommodation is limited for visitors, with the Raddisson Blu being the only hotel option. We recommend workshop attendants to either book accommodation at the Raddisson Blu or seek other options in downtown Helsinki, which offers a much wider array of prices. Traveling daily from Helsinki to Otaniemi is a feasible option with the metro.
Weather
Weather in Helsinki during the summer months is warm and pleasant, with daily means in July around 18 C and rarely exceeding 25 C. Because of the northerly latitude, expect long days around the summer solstice: although the sun sets below the horizon, it will not get fully dark at night during the workshop week.