Old Harbour to be Revitalised for Residential Use

The Telakkaranta area, an old shipyard in Helsinki, is to be revitalised and turned into a living room for the citizens of the World Design Capital. The winning entry of a competition organised for the future of Telakkaranta, entitled Living Harbour, has now been developed further, and a street plan has been drafted for the area.

The Living Harbour entry was posted to last spring’s competition by the Danish architects’ office Lundgaard & Trandberg Arkitekter. The plan focuses on revitalising the area, creating a district where old industrial halls are interspersed with new apartment blocks and public spaces.

The historic docks at Hietalahti have, since 1865, been used to build vessels ranging from torpedo boats to cruise ships, car ferries and icebreakers. The world’s first gas turbine-powered passenger vessel was built here in the 1970s. One of the last ships to be built at the docks was the car ferry M/S Viking XPRS, completed for our partner company Viking Line in 2008.

From private to public

Shipbuilding is coming to an end at the harbour and the Telakkaranta area will be freed from industrial use. The plans for the area include a seafront promenade with cafés, restaurants and historic docked ships. Most of the buildings in the area are old red-brick storehouses and newer industrial halls that will be converted into offices, shops and cultural venues. In addition, new apartment and office blocks have been planned. Telakkaranta will be linked to the shoreline walking paths that circle the heart of Helsinki.

- We have designed a district that is densely built, but with residential buildings interspersed by public spaces. We wanted to furnish the area with several functions and create a small city within the city, which is open around the clock. Our plan takes into account the proximity of the sea and the people who might want to move to the area, so it will also be suitable for families with children, explains architect Eric Frandsen of Lundgaard & Trandberg.

A mansard-roofed, modern hotel building will stand out between the retained historic industrial buildings. The quay, its pedestrian links to the district of Punavuori and the hotel quarter with its public seashore piazza will form a maritime living room that is open to all.

A short film has been produced as a part of our programme to awaken enthusiasm for the development of Telakkaranta. The video can be viewed on the programme page, at the Huutokonttori information centre in Jätkäsaari, and on YouTube.