The planning area extends from the Old Market Hall to the southern side of Olympia Terminal. The area is being planned as part of the city centre, featuring public and commercial services and a shore area that would attract people to walk and spend time there. An international quality and concept competition regarding the development of Makasiiniranta was held in 2022. The detailed plan for the area is based on the winning competition entry, ‘Saaret’.
Architecture and Design Museum to serve as a new landmark at South Harbour
The aim is to have an international-level museum building located near the Old Market Hall and Helsinki Market Square. An architecture competition aiming at the construction of such a building was announced on 15 April 2024. The museum will be the first public cultural building at South Harbour, and it will serve as a new attraction in the area. The target schedule aims at the Architecture and Design Museum starting its operations in the new building in 2030. The area south of the museum will feature two office buildings and two hotel buildings, the ground-floor business premises of which will open up towards the seaside trail.
The seaside trail circling the shores of Helsinki to be supplemented
Makasiiniranta will change from a closed harbour area into a culture and event-focused space open to all. The seaside trail along the seashore will be supplemented in the Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta section, connecting Kaivopuisto with Helsinki Market Square. The new section of the trail will be built as close to the shore as possible.
New operations in the harbour buildings in the future
Harbour operations will remain in the southern section of Makasiini Quay and at Olympia Quay. A new high-speed vessel traffic terminal will be placed between Satamatalo and Olympia Terminal.
Satamatalo and Olympia Terminal are valuable buildings in terms of architecture, history and the cityscape of Helsinki, and they are marked as protected in the plan. When the harbour operations cease and the area is freed up for other use, the aim is to have cultural operations and business premises in the protected buildings.
The area to be built in phases
In the first phase, harbour operations will cease in the northern section of Makasiiniranta so that the new museum building and the two northernmost new buildings of the Saaret project can be built in the area. The objective is for the northern section of the area to be completed in 2030.
The southern section of the area will continue to be used for scheduled Stockholm traffic, and construction will not commence until the harbour operations have ceased. Harbour operations will not cease in the southern section of the area until the harbour tunnel from West Harbour to Länsiväylä has been completed and scheduled Stockholm traffic has been transferred to Katajanokka Harbour.
Materials on display until 6 May
The materials of the detailed plan draft for Makasiiniranta and Olympiaranta will be on display from 15 April to 6 May 2024 at hel.fi/suunnitelmat. We kindly ask that any written opinions be submitted by 6 May 2024 to the City of Helsinki Register Office.
The detailed plan draft will be submitted for decision-making in autumn 2024. The final decision on the detailed plan draft is expected to be issued by the City Council in early 2026.
