Espoo city hall replacement scaled back in revised design, cost cut by €10 million

The planned Espoo city hall replacement, known as Espoolaistentalo, will no longer include a council chamber after the city decided to retain and renovate its existing Valtuustotalo building, officials announced Monday. Construction is now estimated to begin in February 2029, with the updated design reducing the project’s cost by roughly €10 million to €91 million, according to a briefing by Mayor Kai Mykkänen ahead of a city council meeting.

The revised plan removes a multipurpose council hall and associated facilities, eliminating the need for new legislative spaces in the building. City leaders had previously considered demolishing the current Valtuustotalo but abandoned the idea after finding no justification for its removal or alternative uses. The existing structure will instead undergo a separate major renovation.

Office space in the new building has also been adjusted to account for increased on-site work, with capacity now planned for about 1,450 city employees—based on revised estimates that staff will spend 60% of their weekly working hours in the building, up from the earlier 40% projection. The city expects the consolidation to yield €4 million in annual rental savings by centralizing dispersed administrative functions.

Externally, the building will feature a façade of recycled aluminum and glass rather than wood, chosen for its lower maintenance requirements and greater resistance to weather exposure, though timber will remain prominent in interior designs. The ground floor will house public service counters, meeting rooms, and restaurant facilities, with a central atrium intended as a civic gathering space for events and exhibitions.

The updated proposal will go before the city board in September 2026 for further review.