BIG Wins Competition to Design “The Red Line,” a Link Between City and Nature in Finland

The work of <a href="http://www.big.dk/">Bjarke Ingels Group</a>, or <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/big/">BIG architects</a>, is showing up everywhere these days, and that's set to continue: The Danish architecture firm just won another design competition with its proposal for "<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/232793/the-red-line-big/">The Red Line</a>," a multifaceted development of the Ratinanniemi peninsula between Tampere, Finland and nearby Eteläpuisto Park. The plan calls for extending the rapidly growing urban center of Tampere across the peninsula and incorporating the existing Ratina Sports Stadium into a linear public space with a wide variety of uses.

A continuous path — the Red Line itself — is traced along the waterfront and up over the secondary building, which touches the ground at both ends.

BIG's design for the Ratinanniemi peninsula will bring a waterfront development to the site, with a series of structures of varying elevations forming a modest new skyline for Tampere. Each building will house commercial units on the ground floors, while upper residential units will be provided with access to <a title="Renovated 6 Beavis Marks Will Feature Lush Rooftop Gardens in London" href="http://inhabitat.com/renovated-6-beavis-marks-will-feature-lush-rooftop-gardens-in-london/">rooftop gardens</a> established for peaceful green enjoyment of dramatic views.

A second area will feature a large, wood-clad, meandering volume, roughly comprising a wall around a <a title="FLEXHUBDOCK: A Transforming Seaport that Creates a Safe and Vibrant Public Space for Barcelona" href="http://inhabitat.com/flexhubdock-a-seaport-that-creates-a-safe-and-vibrant-public-space-for-cities/">public plaza</a> area.

The innovative solution provides an unusual public path; along the waterfront it comprises of a <a title="New York City Asks Residents to Propose More Pedestrian Walkways" href="http://inhabitat.com/new-york-city-asks-residents-to-propose-more-pedestrian-walkways/">broad walk</a>, with harbor baths and <a title="Recycled Sauna in Finland Flies Past Planning Hurdles With Clever Mobile Design" href="http://inhabitat.com/finnish-woman-waits-12-years-for-permission-to-build-recycled-sauna/">saunas</a>,

The path atop the perimeter building provides a hiking and exercise walkway equipped with spaces to stop enjoy the view.

The path then loops back through the plaza and the wall-like structure of the building itself, cutting across towards the Ratina Stadium.

As a whole, the unique development of the area provides an integrative <a title="Nashville Riverfront Transformed From Wasteland to Cumberland Play Park for Families" href="http://inhabitat.com/nashville-riverfront-transformed-from-wasteland-to-cumberland-play-park-for-families/">public space.

where commercial, cultural and residential facilities are seamlessly reinterpreted to allow for appreciation and use of the topography of the both urban and natural environments so as to extend the city of Tampere in such a way as to create a socially involved outdoor arena.

Commercial and Cultural facilities will be housed at the ground floor level of the new structures.

The development encompasses a 50,000 square meter area to the north of Tampere, Finland