The facilities at Jaluspolku 3 will receive a new look in the coming years as the City renovates, demolishes and expands the existing facilities. The multi-purpose building will serve as a vibrant hub for the whole area, with plenty of facilities available for residents to use.
Services to be relocated to larger premises
An open architectural competition was organised in two phases in 2024 regarding the design of the Meri-Rastila multi-purpose building. The winner of the competition was the ‘Käsi kädessä (Hand in hand)’ proposal by Arkkitehtitoimisto Opus Oy.
Of the original buildings on the site, the chapel designed by Kaarlo Leppänen and the existing school section will be preserved. The low-rise daycare centre and the youth centre section of the block will be replaced by new buildings. In addition, the chapel building will be expanded to include facilities that support youth centre activities. In addition to its basic functionalilties, the multi-purpose building will serve the area in the form of use by residents.
Initially, the multi-purpose building will provide basic education for pupils in grades 1–4, as well as Finnish- and Swedish-language daycare. The plans make provision for the school’s possible expansion into a comprehensive school providing education for grades 1–9. A full-size sports hall, which can be divided into three sections, will be built alongside the school due to open in August 2029.
The multi-purpose building is located on the western edge of the verdant Haruspuisto Park. The school and daycare centre playgrounds form a single, integrated whole with the adjacent park. When designing and constructing the extensions to the multi-purpose building, the existing trees on the site will be taken into account. The new multi-purpose building is a village-like complex. The existing white stone buildings blend into the snow and the new, verdant wooden buildings harmonise with the summer landscape, and they all are linked together by low walkways. The new and the old seek to highlight one another through a harmonious contrast.
The functions and services of the multi-purpose building to be expanded and made more extensive
The multi-purpose building brings together a comprehensive school, daycare centre, playground, youth centre and home care break rooms. The building will also provide space for a community house open to all, located next to the Meri-Rastila square. In addition to its basic functions, the versatile spaces of the building cater comprehensively to the residents’ needs and leisure activities. Central issues in the further planning of the project include the functional development and enabling of these facilities.
The new youth centre will be built in the former chapel building. The building is expanded with a small multi-purpose hall, which will introduce a new functional element to the chapel complex. The multi-purpose hall is also used for early childhood education and care.
The facilities of the community house are designed as a complex of spaces open to all residents. The community house is located in an extension of the multi-purpose building on the north side of the plot on the side of the Meri-Rastila square. The community house will bring activity and liveliness to the square, providing an active and open image of the operations of the multi-purpose building in the public urban space.
Jatke Toimitilat Oy has been selected as the project management contractor for the multi-purpose building in summer 2026.
Operations will move to temporary facilities
The construction work of the multi-purpose building will require all the services to be moved to temporary facilities by summer 2027:
• The comprehensive school will move to temporary facilities at Lohikäärmeenpolku 5.
• The Merirasti daycare centre will move to temporary facilities at Harbonkatu 8.
• The youth centre is still looking for temporary facilities.
The project plan for the Meri-Rastila multi-purpose building was approved by the Helsinki City Council on 4 February 2026.
The page can also be found at https://www.hel.fi/en/urban-environment-and-traffic/urban-planning-and-construction/plans-and-building-projects/meri-ra…