Redesign of Turku's Market Square with flexible joint sealing

The redesign of the market square in Turku, Finland, was one of the most significant urban development projects in Finland’s oldest city. The goal of the extensive renovation was to adapt the historic city center to modern requirements in terms of both function and design, while preserving the square’s traditional character.

The redesigned market square was intended to serve in the future as both a multifunctional meeting place and a central venue for events. In total, the redesigned area covers approximately 20,000 m².

Requirements and Challenges

A particular challenge was integrating the existing historic cobblestones and natural stone slabs into the new design concept while simultaneously creating a modern infrastructure. Underneath the newly laid paving areas, an underground heating system was installed to make the square usable and safe to walk on year-round.

In addition, an underground parking garage was built beneath the market square, eliminating the need for above-ground parking spaces and creating new public space. The joints in the paving areas needed to be permanently sealed to prevent contamination from cigarette butts, broken glass, and other debris. At the same time, the joints had to be designed to be permanently load-bearing, water-permeable, and resistant to frost and de-icing salt.

ROMEX® Solution

Following intensive consultation between the City of Turku, the local ROMEX® contact, and the ROMEX® project department in Germany, the choice fell on the viscoelastic two-component special joint mortar ISATEC® - FLEX.

The work was carried out between 2017 and 2022. ISATEC® - FLEX combines the advantages of a permanently sealed joint with the properties of a water-permeable and elastic system solution. The material is frost- and de-icing salt-resistant, street sweeper-proof, and has been specially developed for high-traffic public areas.

As the first and only viscoelastic joint sealant of its kind, ISATEC® - FLEX offers a permanently stable solution for modern urban squares with high demands on functionality and design.