Columbus (shopping centre)

Columbus is a shopping centre in Vuosaari, Helsinki, Finland, right next to the Vuosaari metro station.[1] It is owned by Citycon. The centre was completed in August 1996. The centre has a total surface area of over 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft).

The Columbus shopping centre in 2014
The columbus shopping centre in November 2020

To the north of the shopping centre are located the Mosaiikkitori square and the Vuotalo cultural centre as well as the Vuosaari sports hall, and to the south of it are located the service centre Albatrossi and Cirrus, the highest residential building in Finland, which was completed in 2006.

History

The Paulig era (1996-2006)

The family company Paulig known for its coffee and spices[2] owned land at the centre of Vuosaari. During the early 1990s depression in Finland, the company started building business spaces in the area by itself as it could not find any suitable investors.[3]

The shopping centre was completed in autumn 1996, almost two years before the Vuosaari branch of the Helsinki metro and its three stations (Puotila, Rastila and Vuosaari) were put into use. Because of its small size, the centre was slightly overshadowed by larger shopping centres, so it was expanded to the east by about 7,000 m2 (75,000 sq ft).

The expansion was started in June 2005 and was completed at Christmas 2006. With the expansion, the total surface area of the centre grew to over 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft) and the number of parking spaces grew from seven hundred to one thousand. Businesses located in the expansion part included K-Supermarket, Posti Group, Tokmanni, Jysk and the self storage rental company Cityvarasto.

In 2005, the total revenue of the Columbus shopping centre was over 65 million euro.[2]

The Citycon era (2006-present)

In 2006, the shopping centre had about sixty tenants. Paulig sold the Columbus building, which was not part of its core business, to Citycon for 80 million euro. Paulig spent part of this money to building a new coffee roastery in Vuosaari.[2][3]

A second expansion was completed in autumn 2007, with K-Citymarket as its main tenant. The leasable business area of the centre grew to 20,000 m2 (220,000 sq ft).[3] In autumn 2016, the K-Citymarket store in the centre was downgraded back to K-Supermarket.[4]

In July 2012, a glass window of about five m2 (54 sq ft) in area fell down from a height of ten m (33 ft) in the shopping centre. No one was injured.[5]

In February 2019, Paulig and Citycon made a preliminary business deal with Bonava about the lots located in Vuosaari. The area is located in Vuosaari, in the northern part of Aurinkolahti, between the metro station, the shopping centre and other activities in Vuosaari. Bonava plans on buying building rights of about 32,000 m2 (340,000 sq ft) habitable space for owner-occupied and rental apartments.[6]

Businesses

Numerous businesses related to daily groceries, clothes, beauty, the household and free time, as well as restaurants and services, are located in the Columbus shopping centre. Businesses in the centre include Alko, R-kioski, S-Market, K-Supermarket, Lindex, Hesburger, Subway, a pharmacy and Tokmanni. The newest tenant in the centre is Lidl.

  • The northern entrance from Mosaiikkitori
    The northern entrance from Mosaiikkitori
  • The parking garage
    The parking garage
  • K-Supermarket (previously K-Citymarket)
    K-Supermarket (previously K-Citymarket)
  • S-market
    S-market
  • A view of Columbus seen from the northern part
    A view of Columbus seen from the northern part

References
  1. Kauppakeskukset 2019, Shopping Centre Association of Finland. Accessed on 1 July 2020.
  2. Paulig myy Columbus-kauppakeskuksen, MTV 16 June 2006. Accessed on 25 June 2020.
  3. Paulig myi Columbus-kiinteistön Cityconille, Helsingin Sanomat 17 June 2006. Accessed on 25 June 2020.
  4. Citymarket kutistuu supermarketiksi Vuosaaressa, Helsingin Uutiset 17 July 2016. Accessed on 15 May 2021.
  5. Kauppakeskuksen kattolasi putosi murusina alas, Iltalehti 4 July 2012. Accessed on 4 July 2012.
  6. Törmänen, Eeva: Bonava aikoo ostaa 32 000 kerrosneliötä rakennusoikeutta Helsingistä – asuntoja sadoille uusille asukkaille, Tekniikkatalous. Accessed on 25 June 2020.

60°12′27″N 25°08′41″E

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.