VENEET

South Harbour development . Helsinki

Helsinki South Harbour development competition

Boats are once again the protagonists in Helsinki’s South Harbour.

Through the seashore manipulation, the strengthening of the area’s positive marine identity is strongly achieved by preserving the cityscape, promoting their cultural and historical values.
The proposal aims to recover Helsinki’s original South Harbour’s grid by the elimination of docks located close to the Market Square area, taking this area back to its original straight waterfront line and enhancing public activities in the surroundings.

In addition, small scale boats as well as lightweight piers return back to the Old Market Hall surroundings in order to obtain a porous limit between land and sea, obtaining a higher-quality public space, far away from large ferryboats whose scale is much bigger. By these developments, pedestrian promenades will be considerably expanded along the seashore, as well as cycling pathts that will run closer to the sea.
Another important fact regarding our proposal is reunion between the forest and the sea by the enlargement of TähtitorninVuori park towards the shore, over current parking spaces that will be laid underground. New public areas arise, like green Park at new Kanava Quay and Katajanokanlaituri Blvd.

New programs, such as Art Museum, Recreational Areas, Sport facilities and restaurants will be held on greenfield islands close to the Market Sq and Old Market Hall whose shape and profile will have echoes of large ships that once docked there.