The shopping centre's white, plastered walls distinguish the building from the area’s other red-brick research and teaching buildings designed by Alvar Aalto. Therefore, the name drew inspiration from the colour white.
Shopping centre A Blanc is part of the service entity of Aalto University's Otaniemi campus, which also includes shopping center A Bloc and startup hub A Grid. In the future, shopping centre A Blanc and shopping center A Bloc together will form a concentration of leisure and services on campus, supporting each other by offering diverse services and facilities. Therefore, the same logic and form was sought for the name of the shopping centre.
The prefix “A” of the names of the service concepts refers to Aalto University and its logo consisting of the letter A. The names are proper names and not directly any language, although different languages have been used as their inspiration.
The campus service concepts primarily serve the residents of Otaniemi, Aalto University students, staff, and visitors, as well as the staff of companies in the area. Otaniemi is one of the most international districts in the Helsinki metropolitan area; more than 30% of Aalto University's staff is international, and its students represent more than a hundred different nationalities. Therefore, all three names can be pronounced and understood in the international Aalto University campus environment using both Finnish and English.
Renewed shopping centre A Blanc on the edge of Alvarinaukio is the second service concentration on the campus. A Blanc offers local services to support everyday life, as well as meeting places with restaurants, stores and office space.
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