The second phase of the GPT-Lab design competition at Tampere University has now been completed, and a winner has been selected. The competition brought forward three exceptionally strong proposals, each demonstrating a high level of creativity, design thinking, and spatial understanding.
The competition also fostered interdisciplinary collaboration between faculties at Tampere University, bringing together perspectives from the Faculty of Built Environment and the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences.
The winning proposal, The Link by Otto Grönblom, was chosen from among the three shortlisted entries: Emergence, Focus&Flow, and The Link. The jury especially appreciated the proposal’s compact and vibrant atmosphere, as well as its ability to reflect the identity and spirit of the GPT-Lab team. The design was also praised for its highly efficient use of space and for the quality of its different iterations throughout the process.
All three shortlisted works stood out for their thoughtful concepts and strong visual and functional qualities. The competition as a whole reflected an impressive level of talent and ambition.
The proposals and their various versions also received positive feedback from the competition’s special guest judge, Alvar Aalto Professor of Practice, architect Teemu Hirvilammi, who highlighted the overall high standard of the entries.
With the winner now selected, the project will move forward from the design phase to implementation in collaboration with Otto Grönblom. His winning work will be realized in the new GPT-Lab workspace.
The competition was organized by Sanni Pöntinen, whose work helped ensure a smooth and successful process from start to finish.
We warmly congratulate Otto Grönblom on his success and extend our sincere thanks to all participants — Kaisa-Leena Aho, Jasper Jutila, Valtteri Vaittinen, and Otto Grönblom — for their outstanding contributions.
Further reflections from Otto on the competition and the winning design will be shared soon.