Koskikeskus

This article is about a neighbourhood in Oulu, Finland. For a shopping centre in Tampere, Finland, see Koskikeskus (shopping centre).
Koskikeskus
District of Oulu
Map
CountryFinland
CityOulu
Areas of OuluTuira area
Population
 (2013)[1]
 • Total550
Postal code
90500

Koskikeskus (literally Rapids Center in Finnish) is a neighbourhood in the Tuira area in the city of Oulu, Finland. The neighbourhood is located in the estuary of the river Oulujoki.[2] The Tuira Bridges in Koskikeskus connect the city centre and Tuira neighbourhoods. The first bridges through the delta were built in late 1860s.

Koskikeskus is built on the site of the former Merikoski rapids, which were lost when the Merikoski hydroelectric power station was built in the 1940s. The neighbourhood is made up of several islands of which only the artificial island of Toivoniemi is permanently inhabited. Other notable islands in the neighbourhood are Linnansaari, Raatinsaari and Kuusisaari.

The ruins of the Oulu Castle are located on the Linnansaari island. The former Oulu Marine School's observatory has been built on the ruins in 1875. Nowadays the observatory is used as a café.[3] Most of the Raatinsaari island is taken by the Raatti Sports Centre, which includes the Raatti Stadium, a practice field and the Raatti indoor swimming pool. The Qstock rock festival has been held in the Kuusisaari island from 2003. In recent years the festival area has expanded to include a part of the Raatinsaari island too.

  1. ^ "Oulun kaupungin ikäluokkatilasto kaupunginosittain 1.1.2013" (pdf). City of Oulu. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  2. ^ Oulun suuralue- ja kaupunginosajako 1.1.2013 alkaen [Subdivisions of the City of Oulu on Jan 1, 2013] (pdf) (Map). City of Oulu. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
  3. ^ "Attractions". Oulu City Tourist Office. 2013. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.