The City of Helsinki is looking for a partner for the development of the new city centre block in Vuosaari by means of a competition. The idea is to build apartments and business premises in addition to cultural facilities in the so-called Cultural Quarter next to the Cultural Centre Vuosaari House.
The aim of the competition is to create an implementation plan for the Vuosaari Cultural Quarter and select the implementing party. The Urban Environment Committee will discuss the proposal for organising a competition at its meeting on Tuesday, 15 March.
The Cultural Quarter aims for a residential building volume of approximately 28,000 km2, of which a maximum of 50% can involve rental dwelling production. A minimum of 5,000 km2 of commercial and office space is sought. Achieving the maximum functional diversity and number of jobs is part of the competition assignment.
More cultural services to Vuosaari’s centre
In addition to the other construction activities, approximately 500 m² of new cultural facilities are being planned, linked to the Cultural Centre Vuosaari House, as part of the competition to be used primarily for art education of children and young people. Once completed, the city will manage and rent the facilities to operators, for example in the fields of visual and media arts, music, circus, dance and theatre.
The former building of Vuosaari Upper Secondary School is situated in the area of the future Cultural Quarter and will be demolished when the construction work begins. In the meantime, the city is planning temporary uses for the old school building.
The city’s goal is for cultural activities to be visible in the cityscape. The idea is to enable, for example, film screenings, seasons-related celebrations and summer concerts as a natural part of outdoor life in the centre of Vuosaari. The competition entries are expected to provide inspiring solutions for the indoor and outdoor complex that connects the Cultural Quarter and Vuosaari House.
The centre of Vuosaari was included in the city’s Percent for Art programme in autumn 2021. The programme will direct part of the compensations paid by the future developer to the procurement of works of art or cultural offerings for the area.
Competition is based on previously established principles
The planning of the Cultural Quarter is guided by the planning principles and the general plan for the centre of Vuosaari, which were completed in 2016 and 2020 in cooperation with residents. The surroundings of Vuosaari metro station are being developed as an area of dense urban construction, and special attention is paid to creating a pleasant and varied pedestrian environment. In the Cultural Quarter, this is pursued through spatially interesting alternative routes leading through the large block.
The competition programme pays special attention to solutions that improve energy efficiency.
Construction to start in 2025
Competition entries for the first phase of the competition must be submitted by 31 August 2022. The city will select up to three competitors for the second phase of the competition. In the second phase, the competitors will draw up a more detailed project plan based on negotiations with the city’s representatives and prepare a quote for the implementation of their plan.
The goal is for the Urban Environment Committee to make its decision on the competition winner in spring 2023. According to a preliminary estimate, the construction work could start in 2025.
In parallel to the competition, the city will start the detailed planning of the Cultural Quarter, which will continue in cooperation with the winning entry. The detailed planning will start in spring with the publication of the participation and evaluation plan. Residents can submit their opinions on, for example, the objectives of the competition programme published in March. The opinions can be taken into account in the negotiations that guide the competition. You can receive a notification about the start of detailed planning, for example, by subscribing to the Plan alert service. The detailed plan revision of the Cultural Quarter will also be presented at the Uutta Itä-Helsinkiä event in the spring.
Complementary construction in the centre of Vuosaari is also progressing in the nearby Mosaiikkikortteli, where the city is planning apartments and business premises. The detailed plan revision proposal concerning Mosaiikkikortteli and the extension of Vuosaari Sports Hall, among other things, will be displayed from 30 March to 28 April.
Links
Urban Environment Committee’s agenda 15 March 2022 (in Finnish)
General plan for the centre of Vuosaari 2020 (in Finnish)
Planning principles for the centre of Vuosaari 2015 (Link leads to external service)(in Finnish)