The viewing platform opened at Viikki’s Hakalanniemi in September, where you can admire the birds and scenes of Vanhankaupunginlahti bay in several directions. The platform is modular, and from the highest level you can also see to the bay over the reed bed that grows in the summer. The large platform can accommodate several groups of visitors at a time. One of the levels is accessible and it can be accessed directly from the pathway without having to climb stairs. However, there are some elevation differences on the route to the platform.
A hideout was opened in the eastern part of Lammassaari in the summer can be accessed via accessible duckboards. The hideout offers views of the Lammassaari meadow and the direction of the island of Loppi. There is an information board in the hideout which contains information on bird species that thrive in the meadow and on the sludgy shore, for example. The structure rests on pontoons, so birds and the surroundings can be observed and photographed close to the water surface. There is also a glass element on the side of the main viewing direction, with holes for taking pictures almost from the water level. The hideout can accommodate up to 40 people.
Important factors in the design of the structures have been accessibility, the needs of different user groups and landscaping them as part of the surroundings. Both the structures serve the growing number of visitors to Vanhankaupunginlahti and offer the opportunity for larger groups, such as school and day-care centre groups, to visit the area.
The construction of the hideaway and viewing platform is based on the area’s maintenance and use plan approved by the Uusimaa ELY Centre, which defines the measures for nature management and recreational use of the Natura listed area known as the Vanhankaupunginlahti waterfowl preserve. The structures were designed by Studio Puisto and built by the City of Helsinki’s public enterprise Stara.