The four teams selected to participate in the second stage of the international Makasiiniranta quality and concept competition have completed their revised competition proposals. Entitled Ahti, Boardwalk, Makasiinipromenadi and Saaret, the proposals will be displayed for comments on the Voice Your Opinion service until 31 August 2022.

The international Makasiiniranta competition is entering its decisive phase, as one of the four competition proposals currently on display will be selected as the winner by the end of the year. After the competition, the planning of the area will proceed in collaboration with the City based on the winning proposal.

In accordance with the objectives of the competition, the Makasiiniranta area will in the future be part of the pedestrian city centre and the seaside trail around the shores of Helsinki and serve as the location of the New Museum of Architecture and Design. A separate competition will be organised for the new museum.

The aim is to turn Makasiininranta into an experiential maritime city space characterised by culture and recreation. The area’s events, services and seaside trail will facilitate the expansion of the city centre to the South Harbour while also boosting the vitality of local businesses.

Discussion open all summer on the Voice Your Opinion service

The four competition teams selected to participate in the second stage of the competition have refined their proposals based on feedback received from the jury and residents. The planners have been provided with further instructions regarding the detailed design of building facades, the preservation of important landscapes and the maximum height of buildings, among other things.

“The competition area is wholly unique. The South Harbour is the crown jewel of Helsinki, so expectations for the competition are high. In terms of planning, the most important objective is to find a solution for turning Makasiinranta into an appealing seaside urban space for both residents and tourists. I encourage all residents to have a look at the competition entries and comment on them. Now is the time to participate and make your voice heard,” urges the Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen.

The proposals are currently on display and can be commented on between 4 July and 31 August 2022 at kerrokantasi.hel.fi. Each proposal includes an introductory text in Finnish, Swedish and English. The appendices of each proposal are available in English.

The competition entries will be displayed in the lobby of City Hall from 4 to 31 August 2022. The competition posters will be printed out in A1 size for viewing.

“The competition teams have taken the objectives of the Carbon-neutral Helsinki programme to heart, with most of the climate change mitigation solutions put forward in the competition going beyond those of our past urban development project of similar size,” adds Mayor Vartiainen.

Winner of the Makasiiniranta competition to be decided in late 2022

The feedback collected via the Voice Your Opinion survey will be presented to the competition jury, as in the first stage of the competition. The jury will begin its deliberation in early autumn, and the outcome of the competition will be announced in November–December 2022.

“The planning task is challenging, and it has been great to see the competition teams give it the kind of serious thought that it warrants. The teams are very committed to seeking and developing solutions that are right specifically for Makasiiniranta and take the values of the surrounding environment into consideration. Their work has been inspiring to follow,” describes Senior Specialist Mia Kajan from the City of Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division.

The winning team will continue planning the area as partnership planning in collaboration with the City of Helsinki. The competition winner will also serve as the implementer of the plots to be formed on the basis of the competition entry. The City Council will later decide on the implementation agreement and approving the detailed plan created for the area.

Team compositions:

• Elävä Eteläsatama (Ålandsbanken, Arkkitehdit Tommila, Arkkitehdit Rudanko + Kankkunen, A-insinöörit, VSU)
• AALTO Development (Arkkitehtitoimisto Lahdelma-Mahlamäki, Maisema-arkkitehtitoimisto NÄKYMÄ Oy, Sitowise)
• South Harbour (NREP, SRV Group, Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit, Nomaji maisema-arkkitehdit, Sitowise)
• Konsortium Gran (Niam, K2S Architecs, White Arkitekter, Ramboll Finland, Rakennuttajatoimisto HTJ Oy)

The progress of the competition can be followed at makasiiniranta.hel.fi.