A new building planned for Onkilahti Comprehensive School

A space needs survey was conducted for Onkilahti Comprehensive School due to the poor condition of the buildings of the V-property at Vuorikatu 11. The buildings in question were constructed between 1962 and 1965.

The survey considered options for either renovating the buildings of the V-property or constructing a new building altogether. At the end, building a new structure between the current V-property (Vuorikatu 11) and the O-property (Laivakatu 16) emerged as the best option.

The current V-property can be used until the new building is ready. After the completion of the new buildings, the old ones are demolished.

The option of renovation was abandoned due to the extensive need for repairs in the V-property. The cost of renovation would have been almost the same as that of a new building, and it would not have provided the desired teaching spaces for the current needs of the school. Additionally, temporary premises would have been required during the renovation.

Scheduled for completion in 2028

The new school building will accommodate grades 5–9. The former primary school, that is, the A-property (Vuorikatu 5–7), will house grades 1–4, freeing up space for the growing number of preparatory education groups.

– The new building for grades 5–9 is a partial comprehensive school solution, allowing teaching staff expertise to be utilized more diversely across different grade levels. A cohesive path of growth and learning is realized flexibly from classroom teaching towards subject teaching. The transition to upper-level studies is no longer as significant a leap as before, describes Director of Education Kari Nummela.

The estimated cost of the project is around 19 million euros. The space needs survey has been approved by the Board of Education and the City Board. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2028.

A larger sports hall

Currently, the site designated for the new building houses an artificial turf field, a skating rink, and two smaller areas for ice skating.

Detailed changes to the grounds will be planned alongside creating the project plan, with the city’s sports services involved in the planning process.

The sports hall of the new building will be larger than the currently used one. The new sports hall will measure 800 m2, compared to the current 290 m2 in the V-property.

Onkilahti Comprehensive School

• Formed in 2018 when Onkilahti Primary School merged with Vöyrinkaupunki Secondary School.
• The school currently has 765 students.
• Teaching spaces are spread across three different addresses and seven different buildings:
  • A-property (Vuorikatu 5–7): grades 1–6
  • O-property (Laivakatu 16, shared with Kuula-opisto): grades 7–9
  • V-property (Vuorikatu 11): grades 7–9
• In addition to general education, Onkilahti Comprehensive School has music classes (that is, an education programme that focuses on music) for every grade level, preparatory education classes, and sports classes for the Sports Academy in secondary school.