Location, location, we have the location!

We have secured the location. And it is exactly what we wanted. No, we skipped the bunkers, caves, and such, and went for a school building. Now, I can hear what you are thinking: “Why the hell choose a school building?” But yeah, this was exactly what we wanted, and we hope that by the end of this post, you are as excited about it as we are.  

Let’s start with the basics. First, this is the most science fiction of all such buildings that we have ever seen. The surfaces are basically grey and white, with a lot of metal details and elements. Take a look at the main hall of the building!  
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(Pictures from: http://www.arkhakli.fi/koulutus/_torpparinmaen/torpparinmaen.htm)

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There are a lot of very cool details, such as most of the ceilings having metal nets covering pipes and wires.  

(Picture: Laura K.)

There is also a big metallic maintenance bridge crossing the main hall high up in the air. It will be used in the larp for maintenance tasks.
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(Picture: Laura K.)

​There are several classrooms around the main hall. All the rooms have big windows to the hallway, so that it is possible for others to witness what is going on in the bridge, medbay, or science lab even if it doesn’t involve your character. All these spaces look incredibly cool!   
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(Picture from: http://www.arkhakli.fi/koulutus/_torpparinmaen/torpparinmaen.htm)

(Picture: Laura K.)

​The location is spot on as it is, but even better: we will have it for total of six weeks, allowing us to spend three full weeks to make it into a starship. A lot of time, money, and effort will be spent on details. We have a designated team doing the planning, and an experienced group of designers for the props, lights, and details for transforming the location. We will create a fully equipped science lab and med bay. We have a bridge with eight workstations for the officers, allowing them to steer the ship with a fully fledged simulation software. We’ll also have an engine room full of machines and puzzles. For the corridors, rec rooms, main hall, and sleeping quarters we’ll bring a lot of details.

Another bonus is the location: The school is located in Helsinki, only 10 km from Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

In addition to being an awesome location by itself, there are two cherries on the top: first, a fully functional IT infrastructure we can build on. Second, it offers very good facilities and is fully accessible with an elevator connecting the two floors. We have a catering kitchen that allows us to easily produce full meals for the players. We’ll have plenty of water toilets and sinks for washing hands, as well as two shower rooms with five showers in each. The showers will be available around the clock, one reserved for non-male and the other one for non-female players. We plan to have some reservable spots for a private shower turn for players who are not comfortable in using showers in groups.

There is, however, one downside. Since the building is a public school, the use of alcohol is prohibited. This means that the larp has a strict non-alcohol policy. This also includes the afterparty. We will offer free soft drinks and snacks in the party, and it is of course possible to leave the location after the short debrief and to head to a bar in Helsinki. However, we do hope you’ll stay to chat and party with us, as there are plenty of occasions to go to a bar but only one to spend a wonderful evening with all the amazing people participating in this event!
 
You can find a few more pictures of the location behind this link:
http://www.arkhakli.fi/koulutus/_torpparinmaen/torpparinmaen.htm

Laura, Producer of Odysseus