A project is underway to create a new city district in Hanasaari and a new identity for it. What kind of a district would you like to see Hanasaari become?
For five decades, the Hanasaari power plant has dominated the skyline of the eastern inner city area, supplying electricity and heat to the residents of Helsinki. Now, the power plant and the surrounding area are starting a new chapter in their lives.
“The power plant is a striking and memorable landmark. But what can it be turned into? What will it be used for in the future? Is it possible to preserve the power plant, or parts of it, for future generations? “These are all incredibly interesting questions,” says Päivi Hietanen, who is the project director for the Hanasaari power plant project.
We will be seeking ideas to answer these and many other questions through an international idea and implementation competition due to start this autumn. What is already certain, however, is that the area will feature housing for around 3,000 people and things such as waterfront walkways, parks and a new school.
Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris says that the entire Hanasaari power plant area is one of the most interesting places in the entire inner city area.
“The area is already interesting because of its location and history. And, of course, because of what it could become in the future. The area is located by the sea and is easily accessible. If we think about similar areas elsewhere in the world, they are typically found on the outskirts of cities. Of course, Hanasaari also used to be situated on the outskirts of the city, but now it’s right in the heart of it,” Harris says.
Before any actual construction work begins, however, it is time to conduct some trials. The Hanasaari power plant area opened to the public on Helsinki Day, 12 June.
The City invites Helsinki residents to help plan what the Hanasaari power plant area should be like for the next five years while the area is in temporary use. Päivi Hietanen, who is leading the power plant project, hopes that residents will both contribute ideas and become actively involved in the project.
“The City has refrained from planning the area in too much detail. Through the Kerrokantasi survey, people can share their ideas on what they think would attract residents to the area and what they would like to do here,” Hietanen says.
The survey is open until 30 September on the City’s website at kerrokantasi.hel.fi/hanasaari-2026(Link leads to external service) (External link)
You can already rent some of the facilities in the former personnel service building (Parrukatu 1). The facilities available to rent include the lobby areas, as well as the large halls and meeting rooms on the second floor, which are suitable for use as offices, event venues or photo shoot locations, for example.
The power plant is currently closed. In the summer, you can visit the building on guided tours. You can sign up for the tours via an online form(Link leads to external service). (External link)
The City is currently assessing the power plant’s potential for temporary use.
Among other things, the City has built new walking and cycling routes, a summer café and a beach volleyball court in the Hanasaari power plant area. Additionally, a temporary skatepark is set to be built in the area this year. The aim is to build a permanent skatepark in the Hanasaari area at a later date.
Project Director Tuomas Hakala is in charge of the development of the Kalasatama area. Hakala explains that, as far as the outdoor areas are concerned, Hanasaari serves as a new recreational area for Helsinki residents.
“The important thing is that Hanasaari is now accessible. Previously, you could never come here and the area was always fenced off,” Hakala says.
After World War II, Helsinki required more energy, which is why it built two power plants in Hanasaari as an extension of the Suvilahti area. First, however, it was necessary to connect Hanasaari island and the neighbouring Kanasaari island to the mainland by means of a large-scale land reclamation project. The Hanasaari A power plant was put into service in 1960 and demolished in 2008. The Hanasaari B power plant was completed in 1974 and, at the time of its completion, it was the City’s most expensive municipal construction project. Hanasaari B was shut down in 2023.
“Personally, I think that this is a truly fantastic building. It’s one of the key works of Architect Timo Penttilä. Many people say that the power plant adds a wonderful layer to the architecture of Kalasatama. Residents are also discussing whether we should abandon the building because it’s a symbol of coal-fired power generation, or whether we should preserve it for that very reason and develop it for a new purpose of use,” Päivi Hietanen says.
The Hanasaari power plant is not a protected building and its future remains uncertain. Converting an energy generation plant for a new purpose of use can be difficult.
“Converting a power plant for new purposes of use is very challenging and expensive,” says Hakala.
The City wants to see more than just housing development in the Hanasaari area. What else might be built around the power plant depends on the power plant’s fate.
“In any case, those other functions should bring added value to the area’s residents and enliven the urban culture,” Hakala continues.
Of course, Hanasaari is not yet a residential area and there are no Hanasaari residents as of yet, but there will be thousands of them in the future.
Päivi Hietanen says that the area has a very strong ‘cultural vibe’. It is situated next to Suvilahti and its events, and Uniarts Helsinki is nearby, as are the cultural activities offered in Kallio.
“Personally, I hope that something of all of this will remain after the area starts to develop. The area will inevitably gain a new kind of identity, and my hope is that it will be shaped in collaboration with Helsinki residents. This period of experimental use is part of the process through which the future will be created,” Hietanen says.
Chief Design Officer Hanna Harris is also fascinated by the fact that the area around Hanasaari is a very distinctive hub of urban culture.
Now that the power plant area has opened up, Harris believes that it could become the heart that brings art, events, food culture and culture in general together and strengthens this connection.
Harris considers it to be important that the best parts of the experiences gained and observations made during the five-year trial period are retained for the future and taken into account during the competition phase.
Harris thinks that Hanasaari’s layered nature is strong, and she hopes that it will also be preserved in the future. The power plant itself reminds us of a particular era.
“It’s important that we can bid farewell to that era while still bringing some aspects of it with us into the future, even as we are creating a space that breathes a new kind of energy. It’s different from actual heating energy – perhaps you could call it the soul of the city,” Harris says.
