Rautatienkatu has a parking problem, but not the one you might expect. The real issue is what the parking structure has taken away. It blocks a key pedestrian route, turns its back on the street, and sits largely empty between events. Rather than demolishing it, RISE builds on top of it. The deck becomes a public social space, and the building above introduces a new housing type that is part shop, part workshop, part home.
The central concept is the workhome. A two-storey unit where a craftsperson can make goods in the workshop, live upstairs, and sell them in the shop below. The setup can also operate independently, supporting local entrepreneurship and positioning Rautatienkatu as a natural continuation of Hämeenkatu’s commercial atmosphere.
The deck welcomes people to relax, play, or gather for community activities. Its fan arena function is preserved for events. Small cafés and everyday shops along the eastern edge serve both residents and travellers. A new staircase at Otavalankatu connects street level to the deck, improving access to the train station.
Rautatienkatu itself is undergoing transformation as car lanes are reduced, trees are planted, and cycling infrastructure is introduced. Turning a previously hostile street into a welcoming public space.
Above the workhomes, residential floors rise on a regular 7.2 m structural grid. Each rooftop features its own amphitheatre-like terrace, opening views onto the deck below. One building contributes a sauna and communal living room, another a gym. A bridge links the rooftops, forming a small elevated neighborhood above the city.
