The City of Helsinki's strategic goal is to transform the former Maria Hospital area into a thriving growth business campus that will be the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The area is already home to the start-up community Maria01, the largest start-up campus in the Nordic countries. In addition, Supercell Oy is applying to the City of Helsinki for a plot reservation for its new headquarters in the Maria area. The new building is planned for the area south of the old Maria Hospital, between Mechelininkatu and Baana. The building site acts as a natural link between the Ruoholahti business area and the city centre and, when completed, would strengthen the vitality of Helsinki's city centre.
Maria Hospital was established in the 1800s near Helsinki’s city centre, in the district now known as Kamppi. In 2014, after hospital operations in the building were moved elsewhere, the location was renovated into Maria 01. According to the development project of the Maria area the hospital’s old building stock in the northern part of the area will be preserved, with the new building complex built on a lot south of this.
In the plans, the highest sections of the Supercell building are located along Mechelininkatu at the western border of the area. The planned office building would consist of a lower base section connecting the different operations in the block and two separate higher parts built on top of this base. The ground floor would also include business facilities serving the city's residents, such as premises for cafés, restaurants or exhibition spaces.
The plots were previously reserved for the consortium of YIT Finland Oy and Keva. However, this reservation expired at the end of 2024. A detailed plan for the area’s construction came into force in 2023.
Preliminary construction began in 2024
Under the terms of the reservation, Supercell must apply for the building permit for the project by the end of 2027. Before the construction of the buildings begins, the City of Helsinki is carrying out preliminary construction work in the area to improve the municipal infrastructure and transport connections.
The city is planning to implement the following projects in the Maria area in 2024–2029:
The plaza leading to the north entrance of the Maria Campus will be paved and trees and benches will be added.
The bridge spanning the pedestrian and cycling corridor known as Baana will be built from the western end of the street named Lastenkodinkatu to the Maria Campus. A ramp connecting the bridge with the Baana corridor will also be built. The bridge will provide light traffic and emergency vehicles with easy access to the area.
One-way bicycle lanes will be built on the busy throughfare of Mechelininkatu, starting south of its intersection with Lapinlahdenkatu. In addition, the narrow walkway connecting the junction known as Länsilinkki with the Mechelinaukio plaza will be widened. Pedestrian crosswalks and the crossing arrangements for bicycle traffic will be updated at intersections.
A new drive and walkway leading to the Maria Campus will be built on the edge of the campus, adjacent to the current parking area under the Ruoholahti bridge. For this reason, the steps leading up to the bridge will be moved slightly.
In connection with the street construction, municipal infrastructure such as water supply and telecommunication links will be renewed, and a new network will be built to serve the Maria campus and other neighbouring areas.
The new buildings planned for the Maria area will require changes to the southern end of Helsinki’s nearby pedestrian and cycling corridor known as Baana. For example, the bike path between the streets of Ruoholahdenkatu and Lapinlahdenkatu will be moved to the other side of the canyon where the railway to the harbour once ran. The basketball court in Baana will be moved south, closer to the end of Ruoholahdenkatu. The pétanque court in the area will be removed, and trees and three new green areas will be added. The part of the “Love Helsinki” artwork situated in Baana will be moved a few metres to the north.
A new park area, Marianpuisto, will also be built in the middle of the Maria Campus. A few trees will be conserved in the park as reminders of the cultural history of the Maria Hospital garden, and old plant species will be given preference in the greenery. A new access route will run through the park, with new stairs (Marianporras) and a ramp connecting the street of Mechelininkatu with Baana.
Most of the old buildings in the area will be preserved. A 1980s residential building owned by the Auroranlinna property company will be demolished to make room for the new building complex that is planned. A brick building from the 1800s that served as a disinfection facility will also be partially demolished, with parts of it preserved in the lobby of the new building. A former chapel and autopsy building built of wood will be moved next to old wooden maintenance buildings nearby. Two buildings made of wood from the 1800s, a former infectious diseases pavilion and a disinfection guesthouse, will be moved to the Helsinki district of Itä-Pakila for residential use.
New routes for pedestrian and bicycle traffic will cross through the area and new steps will be built for pedestrians to access the area from the Mechelininkatu street.
A tunnel for the Baana pedestrian and cyclist corridor is also being planned for the area running under the Maria area. It will extend between the corridor and the Lapinlahdentie street. The schedule for the tunnel project will be specified later. You will find more information about the tunnel here .
If the construction schedule for the project is not mentioned above, it will be specified later.
Projects on a map
Inquiries
City of Helsinki
Tuomo Sipilä, Project Director (Implementation coordination)
tel. +358 9 310 34249
tuomo.sipila@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)
Supercell
maria.supercell.com(Link leads to external service)