Helsinki names four finalists for its massive Makasiiniranta South Harbor redevelopment project

Helsinki's harborfront area redevelopment is one critical step closer to naming its designer.

The Finnish capital has today announced four consortium finalists that will vie for the opportunity to totally transform and revitalize its important South Harbor area into a new cultural hub.

The competition was launched in May of last year, asking architects and those in the CRE industry to submit plans that included a new Architecture and Design Museum. A shortlist for the Makasiiniranta redevelopment was named in January, with nine candidates making the initial cut as picked by the competition’s panel of fourteen select multidisciplinary jurors.

Each consortium now has three months to finalize its master plan before submitting them to the city for public consultation in late June.

“Architecture plays a vital role in the shaping of our cities,” the city’s Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris said in a statement. “In Helsinki, we embrace design to create liveable spaces that open up the city and promote active citizenship. In Makasiiniranta, the next chapter for this historically significant part of Helsinki invites sustainably-driven innovations to become part of the creation and eventual enlivenment of this future home for architecture and design.”

Check out the list below for a further look at the competition’s four groups of finalists.

Ahti (cover image) — Elävä Eteläsatama (Arkkitehdit Tommila, Arkkitehdit Rudanko + Kankkunen, A-insinöörit, VSU Landscape Architects, Ålandsbanken)

Description: “The proposed contemporary identity in Ahti invites new ways to engage with and experience the Baltic Sea, balancing the area’s cultural heritage and its relationship with the natural landscape. The theme of water, as an element of both design and climate awareness, is highlighted through purification education and urban stormwater structures, while liveable elements in the landscaping promote new recreational activities.”

Boardwalk — AALTO Development, Arkkitehtitoimisto Lahdelma & Mahlamäki, Maisema-arkkitehtitoimisto NÄKYMÄ Oy, Sitowise Oy

Description: “Boardwalk presents a highly sculptural architectural form and striking new identity for the area,  demarcated by pavilions, in-between spaces and low-lines that invite discovery. The masterplan is intended to be flexible, to invite a multitude of transformational uses over time, ensuring meeting points cultivate a sense of public nourishment across culture, sport and leisure.”

Makasiinipromenadi — South Harbour (NREP, SRV Group, Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit, Nomaji maisema-arkkitehdit, Sitowise, Granlund)

Description: “The heritage of the site and its former warehouse spaces are reflected within the Makasiinipromenadi proposal, offering a balanced coexistence and continuum with the cultural and historical landscape. Principles of openness and accessibility permeate the Makasiinipromenadi blueprint, including the provision of free public services, as well as commercial opportunities for a food hub, wellness services and entertainment venues.”

Saaret — Konsortium Gran (Niam, Taaleri Infra, K2S Architects, White Arkitekter, Ramboll, HTJ)

Description: “Saaret proposes an identity for Makasiiniranta as a crucible of Finland’s idiosyncratic design and creativity. Interspersing flexible built spaces and greener gathering points with the layers of urban nature, Saaret offers an intersection of cultural and sustainable environments that aim to improve the area’s micro-climate and create bio-diverse habitats."

The winner will be announced in late fall of this year. A separate competition for the Architecture and Design Museum is to follow sometime during 2023. The competition’s progress can be tracked here.