Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2013 | Page 14

High Hopes
Helsinki wants to go vertical – but which of the 50 high-rise
projects are truly viable?
After decades of existence close to the street level, the Daughter of the
Baltic is seeking the high life. High-rise construction is the talk of the
town all around the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, with authorities nodding
approvingly. The critics’ camp is in an uproar, complaining that the city
profile will be sacrificed to the corporate altar. With 50 tower projects in
the works in Helsinki alone, one is right to ask: what’s going on?

F

irst of all, while the number of tentative projects is large (at least for a city
of Helsinki’s size), it is likely that only a handful will ever materialise. The other thing, then, is that the key historic areas
will remain off limits to construction – there
will be no skyscrapers taking off from the
Senate Square.
The City has, however, given a green
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light for construction to seaside areas which
were formerly housing port/industrial functions. As port operations have moved to the
Eastern Vuosaari harbour, attractive waterfront areas are now open for development
– and tower construction is a viable option,
since it allows tight community structure.
High-rise construction is a Central European trend which has been waiting for a

long time to make its mark here. The former harbour areas – Kalasatama and Jätkäsaari – seem like perfect pilots for the City
to go vertical.

Kalasatama Goes Manhattan
Located in eastern central Helsinki, Kalasatama centre is the single most significant