Design goes Washing Jetty

Carpet washing jetties represent disappearing city culture in Helsinki. The jetties are no longer maintained due to increasing pollution in the sea water, and they are being phased out.

The sound of scrubbing brushes on mats and rugs, the fresh scent of pine soap and the colourful rows of drying rag mats are disappearing from the city’s shorelines – not to mention the social aspect of the institution that is the Finnish washing jetty.

Through events centred on architecture, design, community spirit and the protection of the environment Design Goes Washing Jetty focuses our attention on the role of the 13 mat washing jetties, which are dotted along the shoreline of Helsinki, as community-spirited social meeting places and as important components of the city’s cultural heritage.

The events aim to awaken dialogue on ways to revitalise the structures and resources that are facing redundancy in the urban environment. The ultimate goal is to exploit all of the urban potential that Helsinki has to offer. The festival also wants to promote the sauna culture in Helsinki as well as various other themes linked to water.

With the project, Helsinki City Planning Department wants to highlight and implement different opportunities to preserve the jetties as visual and functioning components of people’s everyday lives. The Planning Department is even hopeful of finding solutions for ways to maintain some of the jetties in their original use.

More information

Martina Jerima
Producer
Tel. +358 40 5318418
martina.jerima@hel.fi