The Hanasaari power plant, completed in 1974, is one of architect Timo Penttilä's major works. It is valued as architecturally and cultural-historically significant.
Based on technical assessments, the Hanasaari power plant building can be preserved and repurposed. The tall and large spaces are versatile, and in the future the Hanasaari power plant could offer a wide range of interesting things to do and experiences to enjoy. Planning for the future of the Hanasaari area starts now.
Hanasaari Industrial area
- 16 hectares of land
- 2 km from the Helsinki city center
- 380 000 m³ of power plant interior space
- ~250 000 sqm estimated building right
- 34,00 residents predicted to live in the wider Kalasatama district in 2037
- 11,000 new jobs expected to be created in the wider Kalasatama district
Hanasaari international idea and implementation competition
An international competition will be held to decide on the future use of the power plant.
Location of the power plant on a map of Helsinki
Area around Hanasaari evolving
The Hanasaari power plant is located close to the city centre, at the junction of the old and the new. Nearby Suvilahti and Kallio are known for their events and lively cultural life. Suvilahti has hosted major internationally renowned events such as the Tuska and Flow festivals.
To the east of the power plant is the rapidly growing new district of Kalasatama. According to estimates, the Kalasatama area will have 34,000 residents by 2037.
Teurastamo and the Wholesale Market are located to the north of Hanasaari, and a new residential area is being built in Verkkosaari. Business activity is also on a strong upturn, with 11,000 new jobs expected to be created in the region.
Power plant suitable for a variety of purposes
The City is preparing a competition for the future use of the Hanasaari power plant and the entire area. Possibilities for temporary use of the plant are also being explored.
During 2024, the City envisioned the future of the power plant, together with residents, the City's stakeholders and local operators. Based on the results, three scenarios were developed to support the development of the power plant.
Contact details
Name
Päivi Hietanen
Photographs inside and around the Hanasaari power plant
Frequently asked questions
The aim is to maintain the power plant, but no decisions have been taken. The City will explore the possibility of preserving the power plant as part of the planning for the future use of the site and will organise an international competition for ideas and implementation.
The power plant ceased operation in spring 2023. Some secondary buildings and process equipment inside the plant have been demolished. The plant itself will not be dismantled. The power plant building, the staff building beside it, as well as key parts of the plant's process equipment will be preserved.
The entity to be preserved has been defined in cooperation between Helen, the City and the City Museum, based on the architectural history report on the power plant.
The Hanasaari power plant, completed in 1974, is one of architect Timo Penttilä's major works. It is valued as architecturally and cultural-historically significant. The Helsinki City Museum has proposed that the staff building and some parts of the power plant for protection.
The future use of the power plant has not been decided as of yet. The city will commission additional financial and technical studies aimed at verifying whether the power plant building can be preserved as part of the further development of the area. A competition on the future use of the plant will be held.
The Hanasaari area will be developed through an international ideas and implementation competition. The format of the competition, the delimitation of the competition area and the timetable are currently being worked out. These matters will be determined in 2025–2026.
Yes. Residents will be involved in the preparation of the temporary use, the planning principles and the design competition for the power plant site.
The City has worked with educational institutions on the Hanasaari power plant. In spring 2024, the Master’s students on the Advanced Building Design Studio course (external link) (Link leads to external service) held in cooperation with the Department of Architecture at Aalto University studied the development of the power plant for circular economy, cultural, museum and sports use. On the ‘Urban Design by Spatial Psychology’ course at Laurea University of Applied Sciences, international teams of students explored the identity of the area and came up with prototypes that could be used to start opening up the area to the residents. The students' work highlighted many of the themes that are important for the development of the power plant and the region.
In the spring of 2025, the City of Helsinki organised a research project course in cooperation with the University of Helsinki's geography programme, in which first-year students worked in groups to draw up a development plan for the Hanasaari power plant area.
You can also find this page at hel.fi/hanasaaripowerplant