Oil tanks to be transformed for business in Kruunuvuorenranta

 

The next few years will see more construction in Helsinki than ever before. Vast sites, many of them on the waterfront, have been vacated from former harbour and other industrial uses, and redevelopment of these sites for housing and jobs has begun.

 

Kruunuvuorenranta, a site for oil harbor operations for the past 90 years, will be turned into a residential area for 10,000 inhabitants with jobs for about 1,000, slated for completion by the mid-2020s. Oil companies are currently demolishing bulk storage tanks and removing contaminated soil from City-owned areas.

 

A few of the tanks and old loading docks will be preserved and developed into new uses, to retain some of the old Kruunuvuorenranta as a reminder of the area’s past. Many ideas have been put forth on the new uses of the kiosk-like tanks and the docks, including developing them for business.

 

“The sky is the limit, and there’s a wealth of potential for the preserved facilities,” says Kruunuvuorenranta Project Leader Jari Tirkkonen of the City of Helsinki Economic and Planning Office.

 

In addition to three small tanks, two large underground storage facilities will be retained and turned into commercial uses.

 

The new Kruunuvuorenranta will be a maritime housing district strongly characterized by the varied natural shoreline and the adjacent archipelago. The natural environment will open many possibilities for planners, designers and developers to build a broad range of housing types enriched by maritime features.

 

An across-the-bay tram line from the city centre just three kilometres away is under investigation to connect Kruunuvuorenranta with the Helsinki city core.

 

“Some of the best features of Kruunuvuorenranta are the closeness of the sea and magnificent views to the city centre and the Suomenlinna islands,” Tirkkonen confirms.