Jätkäsaari
JätkäsaariJätkäsaari will be built by the open sea on the southwestern tip of Helsinki as an extension of the city’s urban centre. It will create homes for 21,000 residents and 6,000 jobs. A fifth of the area will consist of parks.
On this page
The Jätkäsaari area
Jätkäsaari is an urban seaside district. The compact construction, sheltered and closed residential blocks, street-level shops, and trams make Jätkäsaari feel like the inner city. The sports park and Hyväntoivonpuisto (Park of Good Hope) that snake through the centre of Jätkäsaari, provide residents with recreation and leisure activities.
The housing selection in Jätkäsaari is diverse. Owner-occupied housing, privately financed and state-subsidised rental housing, right-of-occupancy housing, student housing, and senior housing are all being built in the area. Additionally, Jätkäsaari has many group building projects with various housing models and concepts.
The area’s architecture has a modern and experimental approach, which you can see in the construction of a Parisian-style roof level and the use of colours, for example. The number of stories in buildings decreases, as they approach the seashore. Connected town houses, low-rise blocks of flats, and row homes will be built near the shore.
Public art is being incorporated into Jätkäsaari for the residents to enjoy. There are already many works of art on the streets, such as the Länsilinkki bridge, a piece installed in a phone booth entitled Back to the Future, and Jätkäsaarenlaituri's Horisontti (‘the horizon’).
Artists are primarily commissioned to create new artwork designed for the installation site.
Public art on Helsinki Art Museum's web site(Link leads to external service)
One fifth of Jätkäsaari’s area, or about 20 hectares, will be covered with parks that provide room for exercise, relaxation and play. When ready, the largest green area, the Hyväntoivonpuisto (Park of Good Hope), will be a one-kilometre-long and nearly 100-metre-wide oasis containing the island’s main light transport routes. The park is the winner of the 2020 Environmental Structure of the Year award.
Zones and plans
The detailed local plans determine an area’s land use. For example, they show where we can build housing, offices and parks, or where the roads and other pathways are.
Construction
Jätkäsaari is one of Helsinki’s largest construction sites. What used to be a 100-hectare port and industrial area is undergoing a slow metamorphosis into a lively and enjoyable residential area.
The construction of Jätkäsaari began in 2010 and will continue until the end of the 2020s. The area is primarily being built one section at a time. The Hietasaari area was the first to be completed, and construction is progressing in stages towards the southern shores.
Below is some additional information about construction
Work on the electrical grid and district heating network will take place on Messipojankatu in 2022, primarily to finish the new city block next to it. Jätkäsaari’s waste disposal company’s temporary recycling collection point will be on the edge of the Laivapojanaukio public square.
Construction will continue on Hyväntoivonpuisto (Park of Good Hope). The goal is to build a planting strip along the newly completed residential blocks on the south side of Atlantinkatu on the side facing the park. There will also be backfill work to prepare for surface finishing next year.
Construction will begin this year on Rööriporkkana, the light transport bridge crossing over Länsisatamankatu and connecting the northern and southern parts of Hyväntoivonpuisto (Park of Good Hope). The work will begin with the construction of an abutment on the south side of the street. The abutment consists of large triangle-shaped concrete elements. The abutment will have heated stairs built into it.
Kaapeliaukio square will be finished next to Dance House Helsinki, which has recently opened next to Kaapelitehdas. Kaapelipuisto park, which is north of the building will also be finished. The park will have multi-species plantings, natural stone walls and seating, and play equipment.
Depending on whether the plans are completed on schedule, public utilities will be installed for the streets in the Melkinlaituri area. However, if the plans are not completed early enough, continuing work on Saukonkanava instead is possible.
Residential construction continues in the Melkinlaituri detailed plan area, Jätkäsaari’s service blocks, and on Välimerenkatu
Construction on the city block between Länsisatamankatu and Messipojankuja will start in 2022. The one-of-a-kind Jätkäsaaren Terassitalo is being built at Länsisatamankatu 20, which consists of two terraced buildings with 2–10 stories. The unique feature of this structure are the apartments on the terraces, which have large outdoor areas.
Construction will also start on the Helsinki Voluntary Fire Brigade’s new fire station in the same city block. Additionally, two hotels and an office building will also be constructed in the city block.
Ahdinallas will be prepared for construction in front of Melkinlaituri with the dredging of the seabed and fill work.
Transport links
Jätkäsaari has excellent public and light transport links.
The improvements of the last mile connections to the West Harbour in the TWIN-PORT 3 project(Link leads to external service) have been co-funded by the Connecting Europe Facility.
Services
In the future, Jätkäsaari will have diverse public and private services. Jätkäsaari’s primary school is already open, and the city will add more day-care centres in addition to the current five as the number of residents increases. Commercial services will also increase gradually.