Cultural oasis "Finlandia Park" to surround Helsinki's Töölönlahti Bay

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The area surrounding Helsinki's Töölönlahti Bay is to be renamed Finlandia Park. The City of Helsinki plans to use the new name in its marketing and communications in order to emphasize the distinguished and unique quality of the area.
      The area will be developed step by step bearing in mind various cultural and recreational activities. For example, cafés and flower beds would be set up in the southern part of the area, while a recreational oasis featuring various events locations would be sited at the northern end of the new urban park.
     
A canal would also be constructed in the middle of the new park, along the shoreline of the planned theme parks next to the main railway station.
      Furthermore, a large new music centre is currently being built on the site that was previously occupied by the old railway storehouses, the so-called Makasiinit. The storehouses were almost entirely destroyed during the last May Day celebrations, when some rioters set a number of fires in the yard of the storehouses and a conflagration broke out inside one of the buildings. Nobody was injured in the incident, which attracted huge crowds of onlookers.
      The aim is to complete the new park by 2012, when the capital of Helsinki celebrates its 200th anniversary. The whole project, including all new buildings, is scheduled for completion by 2015.
     
The new urban park would bring together several existing cultural buildings, namely Finlandia Hall, Kiasma, Sanoma House, the Finnish National Opera, the city's Botanical Gardens, the National Museum, Parliament, and the future Music Centre now under construction.
      Töölönlahti is right in the heart of Helsinki, and is an inlet of the sea. Access to the sea is via two other bays leading out to the district of Hakaniemi to the east.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Dozens of floating homes could be placed on Kaisaniemenlahti bay (17.5.2006)
  Investigators of warehouse arson now searching for two 15-year-olds (12.5.2006)
  Royal Line plans to extend its sightseeing cruises to Töölönlahti Bay
  Töölönlahti zoning plan gets approval - green light for music centre (30.3.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat