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The New Dentalia project includes renovation of the Dentalia building and construction of a new building – the project will be completed during 2030
The Dentalia building and its extension will bring together biomedical research and education in the Turku campus area and provide renovated facilities for dentistry and oral health care.
The property’s owner, University Properties of Finland Ltd (SYK), is the developer of the New Dentalia building and its main users will be the biomedical sciences of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University and the education in dentistry and oral health care of the University of Turku and the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland (Varha).
The project planning phase of the new Dentalia construction project was concluded in the spring of 2025, and all project parties have now decided to move on to further planning. The estimated gross area of the project is approximately 30,000 m2. In further planning, proposal, general and construction plans will be drawn up and preparations for construction phases will be made. The further planning phase will start in the autumn of 2025 and it will last until the end of 2026. Construction work for the new building will begin in accordance with the preliminary project schedule during the spring of 2027.
The project includes the renovation of the Dentalia building completed in 1965, as well as the construction of a new extension building. In the architecture of the extension, the aim is to emphasize the segment-like character of the new part as an extension to the rectangular and circular part of Dentalia. The goal is a harmonious block, where the new part forms a cohesive entity with the existing Dentalia building, but with the protected modernist building and the new extension standing out as representatives of different eras.
“The aim of the project is to build a truly user-friendly, collaborative space that responds to users’ acute need for up-to-date research and teaching facilities. The user groups of the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Varha are part of the international scientific community, which is reinforced by the new building. The location of the extension of the Dentalia building in the Turku Science Park and a hub for traffic also strengthens the Science Park’s vibrant collaboration network and urban structure”, says SYK’s CEO Sanna Sianoja.
The project makes use of new facility concepts that enable the flexibility and adaptability of the working environment in the manner required by the operations as cost-effectively as possible. Some of the facilities will be designed for shared use in order to achieve a high utilisation rate and economical use of space. At the same time, it will be possible to arrange joint services for user organisations in order to develop their operations.
The building will be designed according to the special needs of the main users for long-term use.
“We are happy to start this project now and to be able to continue and further develop our important teaching and research cooperation in life sciences in shared facilities with the University of Turku and now also with Varha”, says Reko Leino, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Åbo Akademi University.
“The facility’s users have been involved in the design and the aim is to create the most appropriate and modern facilities for research, teaching and treatment. With the new building, a biotechnological and biomedical cluster will be created under one roof in the Turku campus area, bringing together the equipment and expertise of a research infrastructure that is significant both nationally and internationally. Thus, the building is important for the strong basic and applied research and higher education in the Turku region, especially aimed at drug development “, stresses Piia Seppänen, the Vice Dean responsible for research at the University of Turku. Seppänen is also a member of SYK’s board.
More information:
University Properties of Finland Ltd
Sanna Sianoja, Chief Executive Officer
tel. +358 50 351 2207
sanna.sianoja@sykoy.fi
University of Turku
Jari Ukkonen, Facility Manager
tel. +358 50 567 7815
jari.ukkonen@utu.fi
Åbo Akademi University
Reko Leino, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering
tel. +358 400 707 195
reko.leino@abo.fi
Wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland
Timo Seppälä, Property Manager
tel. +358 40 739 0173
timo.seppala@varha.fi
