Itis

Itis is a large shopping centre in the Itäkeskus district of East Helsinki, Finland. The centre stands beside the Itäväylä motorway and directly next to the Itäkeskus metro station, making it one of the most accessible retail destinations in the eastern Helsinki metropolitan area. Its location has shaped both its commercial role and its architectural development: the complex was planned around a major public-transport interchange and has remained closely connected to Helsinki’s metro and bus networks. The centre opened in stages. Its first section, originally called Itämarket and now known as Pasaasi, opened in 1984 with 41 businesses and approximately 22,000 square metres of floor area. The project was commissioned and financed by SKOP bank, designed by architect Erkki Kairamo’s practice and constructed by Haka. A second stage was completed in 1992. Named Bulevardi, with the smaller Pikku-Bulevardi area forming part of the expanded complex, it added approximately 160 shops and a broad internal boulevard with trees, benches, sculptures, fountains and curved glass roofs. The expansion brought the centre’s total floor area close to 85,000 square metres and made it one of the largest shopping centres in the Nordic countries at that time. A third major section, Piazza, opened in 2001 after planning began in the late 1990s. It completed the centre’s principal footprint and added a public square designed for events, concerts and other activities, together with restaurants, cafés, fashion retailers and home-related stores. The resulting complex is divided into four principal sections—Pasaasi, Pikku-Bulevardi, Bulevardi and Piazza—and contains five floors. Retail and services are concentrated mainly on the first two floors, while other levels accommodate parking and office space. The shopping centre was extensively modernised between 2012 and 2014. During this period its interior was simplified and the established name Itäkeskus was officially changed to Itis in March 2012. Itis had already been used informally as a local nickname. The redevelopment increased the gross leasable area, including offices, to approximately 103,675 square metres and provided about 81,218 square metres of leasable retail space. The centre has approximately 3,000 parking spaces, more than 150 shops and around 30 restaurants and cafés. It is commonly described as Finland’s fourth-largest shopping centre by retail scale. Its tenant mix spans fashion, department-store retail, groceries, discount retail, sports, electronics, restaurants, cafés and entertainment. Anchor and major tenants have included Stockmann, S-market, Lidl, Halonen, Tokmanni, H&M, Lindex and Budget Sport. Itis has also served as a platform for international brands entering Finland: H&M opened its first Finnish store there in 1997, while Finland’s first commercial IMAX cinema opened at the centre in 2018. A Finnish KFC location opened there in 2021, and a new market hall opened during the 2022–2024 renovation programme. The property has changed ownership several times. Following SKOP’s financial difficulties and the transfer of related assets to Sponda, Sponda sold the centre to Dutch property investment company Wereldhave in 2002. Ownership later included Wereldhave, Kesko and the City of Helsinki, before the property was sold to Morgan Stanley in the late 2010s. Reference material identifies Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing and CC Real as the buyers in the subsequent transaction. Itis remains an operating retail and community destination, with its position based on scale, transport access, diverse tenants and continuing refurbishment rather than on a standalone product line.

Itis began as a purpose-built retail project connected to the development of East Helsinki’s Itäkeskus district and its metro interchange. The original owner and commissioner was SKOP bank, which invested 200 million Finnish markka in the project. The first stage was completed in autumn 1984 near the Puhos shopping centre and the newly established metro connection. Designed by Erkki Kairamo of Gullichsen, Kairamo, Vormala Architects and built by Haka, the first section was known as Itämarket and contained 41 businesses across approximately 22,000 square metres. It is now called Pasaasi. The early centre was conceived as a modern commercial structure rather than a historically referential building. Its exterior was dominated by advertising, shop signs and the visual language of steel construction. The project’s architectural and engineering qualities were recognised by the Finnish Steel Construction Foundation: Kairamo received the Vuoden teräsrakenne award for the first phase in 1984, and Sakari Aartelo and Esa Piironen received the award in 1986 for the Hansasilta covered pedestrian bridge over Itäväylä. Planning for a major extension began soon after the first phase opened. The second stage was completed in September 1992 as Bulevardi, with Pikku-Bulevardi forming part of the connected layout. The work was designed through a collaboration of several architectural practices, including Juhani Pallasmaa. Its defining feature was a nearly 200-metre internal boulevard about 16 metres wide, furnished with trees, benches, sculptures, fountains and curved glass roofs. Shops occupied both sides on two floors. The extension added around 160 businesses and expanded the total floor area to almost 85,000 square metres. Stockmann became a major tenant, and the Anttila store moved into the newer section. At the time, the enlarged complex was regarded as the largest shopping centre in the Nordic countries. Retail formats continued to change during the 1990s and 2000s. The Maxi supermarket in the oldest section became a Valintatalo Plus grocery store in 1996 and later an S-market in 2004 after the merger of the Helsingin Osuuskauppa and Elanto cooperatives. H&M opened its first Finnish store at Itis in August 1997, reinforcing the centre’s role as an entry point for international retail brands. A third extension, Piazza, was planned from the late 1990s and opened in September 2001. The oval-shaped addition completed the principal physical form of the centre. Its centrepiece was a sunken public square with wooden steps, restaurant terraces, cafés and space for concerts and public events. The section also attracted foreign fashion and home-decoration businesses that were entering the Finnish market. Ownership changed as the Finnish banking crisis affected SKOP. After the Bank of Finland acquired SKOP in 1991, the bank’s property holdings were transferred to Sponda, a corporation established by the Bank of Finland. Sponda sold the shopping centre to Dutch property investment company Wereldhave in January 2002. In 2012, the ownership structure reported in reference material consisted of Wereldhave Finland with 84 percent, Kesko with 15 percent and the City of Helsinki with 1 percent. The property later changed hands in a transaction involving Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing and CC Real. The centre received a substantial renovation from 2012 to 2014. Its interior was simplified and the official name changed from Itäkeskus to Itis in March 2012, formalising the shorter name already widely used by local residents. Stockmann moved its Itäkeskus department store into Piazza in November 2013, initially occupying 12,000 square metres over three floors. In August 2023, the upper level was converted into a large Power electronics store, while Alanya Market replaced the Stockmann Herkku grocery operation later that year. The Stockmann department store was ultimately discontinued in summer 2025, with Halonen and Budget Sport subsequently taking over the space according to the supplied reference material. Entertainment and food uses have become increasingly important. Finnkino opened Finland’s first commercial IMAX cinema at Itis on 30 November 2018, using space associated with the former Anttila chain, which had entered bankruptcy in 2016. KFC opened a restaurant in November 2021. Another extensive renovation took place from 2022 to 2024, including new wooden railings on the second floor and the opening of a market hall in July 2024. The complex is directly linked to the Itäkeskus metro station and bus terminal. It can also be reached from major roads including Itäväylä, Kehä I and Meripellontie. Services include metro feeder buses, trunk routes, connections toward Helsinki Airport and other metropolitan districts, and links toward Sipoo. In 2018, the centre reported approximately 319 million euros in sales and 17.1 million visitors; these figures describe that year and are not current financial guidance. Itis continues to function as a regional shopping, dining, entertainment and transport-oriented destination.

1. 2024New market hall opens

   A market hall opens as part of the latest renovation programme.

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2. 2021KFC opens at Itis

   The first KFC restaurant in Finland opens at the shopping centre.

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3. 2018IMAX cinema opens

   Finnkino opens Finland’s first commercial IMAX cinema at Itis.

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4. 2014Major refurbishment concludes

   The interior is comprehensively renovated and the centre reaches approximately 103,675 square metres of gross leasable area including offices.

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5. 2012Itäkeskus becomes Itis

   The centre adopts its current name during a major modernisation programme.

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6. 2002Sponda sells the property to Wereldhave

   The shopping centre changes ownership in a transaction valued at 317 million euros according to the reference material.

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7. 2001Piazza opens

   The third expansion adds an event-oriented public square, restaurants, cafés and new retail space.

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8. 1997H&M opens its first Finnish store at the centre

   H&M establishes its first Finnish retail location at Itis.

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9. 1992Bulevardi extension opens

   The second major phase adds about 160 shops and creates the centre’s long internal boulevard.

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10. 1986Hansasilta bridge receives steel-construction recognition

    Architects Sakari Aartelo and Esa Piironen receive a Finnish steel-construction award for the covered bridge over Itäväylä.

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11. 1984First phase opens as Itämarket

    The first section, now called Pasaasi, opens with 41 businesses and an integrated connection to the metro station.

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A large, transit-connected urban shopping centre serving East Helsinki and the wider Helsinki metropolitan area through a broad mix of retail, grocery, dining, entertainment and everyday services.

• PasaasiShopping-centre section1984

  The oldest principal section of Itis, originally opened in 1984 as Itämarket. Pasaasi is positioned directly beside the Itäkeskus metro station and remains a key entrance and retail area. Its original design was associated with a strong steel-construction aesthetic and included 41 businesses at opening.

• Bulevardi and Pikku-BulevardiShopping-centre section1992

  The 1992 expansion added substantial retail capacity and introduced a long indoor boulevard with landscaping, public art, seating, fountains and curved glass roofs. The section accommodates shops and services on two principal retail levels and helped establish Itis as a major regional shopping destination.

• PiazzaShopping-centre section and event space2001

  Opened in 2001, Piazza is an oval-shaped expansion with a sunken public square surrounded by restaurants, cafés, terraces and retail premises. Its layout supports concerts, public events and other activities, while its commercial mix has included international fashion and home-related brands.

• Itis market hallFood and market retail2024

  A market hall opened in July 2024 at the boundary between the first and middle sections of the shopping centre. It forms part of Itis’s continuing effort to combine everyday food retail with dining and other experiential uses.

• Finnkino IMAX cinemaEntertainment2018

  Finnkino’s cinema at Itis includes Finland’s first commercial IMAX auditorium. It opened in 2018 in premises associated with the former Anttila store and added a significant entertainment component to the centre’s retail and restaurant offering.

• 2022Renewal of public and commercial areasStrategy

  Itis began another comprehensive renovation programme intended to update internal public areas and support its long-term retail role.

  What changed. Renovation work continued through 2024 and included new second-floor wooden railings and a new market hall.

  Aftermath. The completed works expanded the centre’s food-market and contemporary public-space offer.

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• 2018Decision to add an IMAX cinemaProduct launch

  The former Anttila premises became available after the retail chain’s bankruptcy in 2016.

  What changed. Finnkino converted the premises into a cinema and opened Finland’s first commercial IMAX auditorium at Itis.

  Aftermath. The project broadened Itis’s offer beyond shopping and dining by adding a major entertainment destination.

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• 2012Rebrand from Itäkeskus to ItisStrategy

  The shopping centre was undergoing a major refurbishment and had long been known locally by the shortened name Itis.

  What changed. The official name was changed to Itis in March 2012 while the centre’s interior and commercial presentation were modernised.

  Aftermath. The Itis name became the centre’s principal public identity and was retained through later renovation and tenant changes.

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• 2024New market hall opens at Itis

  A new market hall opened in July 2024 at the boundary between the first and middle sections of the complex.

  Product launch
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• 2022Itis undergoes another major renovation

  A further refurbishment programme began and continued through 2024, including changes to the centre’s internal public areas and railings.

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• 2021Finland’s first KFC location opens at Itis

  A KFC restaurant opened at the shopping centre on 11 November 2021, adding a major international quick-service restaurant brand to the tenant mix.

  Product launch
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• 2019Itis is sold to Morgan Stanley and CC Real

  The shopping centre changed ownership in a transaction involving Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing and CC Real, following Wereldhave’s period of ownership.

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• 2018Finnkino opens Finland’s first commercial IMAX cinema at Itis

  Finnkino opened an IMAX cinema at Itis on 30 November 2018 in premises formerly occupied by the Anttila chain.

  Product launch
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• 2014Itis refurbishment completed

  A comprehensive refurbishment simplified the interior and expanded the centre’s overall leasable area, including offices, to approximately 103,675 square metres.

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• 2012Itäkeskus is renamed Itis during major refurbishment

  The shopping centre adopted the name Itis, which had previously been used informally, as part of a broad redevelopment and repositioning programme.

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1. Itis shopping centre
2. Official Itis website