Kids propose floating neighbourhoods and residential islands for area vacated by shipyard

Helsinki launches open discussion on future of Hernesaari

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Children and young people are among those getting a chance to put forward ideas on the figure of the Hernesaari area in the south of Helsinki, which is being vacated by shipyard facilities that are to be phased out in the area.
      A group of 100 pupils at the Arkki Architecture School for Children and Youth have worked on their Hernesaari vision for nearly a year. The pupils, ranging in age from three to 18, want to see the 32-hectare peninsula to have canals to accommodate small boats.
      In addition to Arkki, the Helsinki City Planning Department has asked residents of nearby Eira and Munkkisaari to make proposals of their own on what kind of an area they want in Hernesaari.
      The construction is slated to begin in 2012, when most of the shipyard buildings are to be torn down.
     
To spur the discussion, the City had three architect companies, Anttila & Rusanen, Helin & Co. and Brunow & Maunula, draw up their own proposals.
      "New winds are blowing. Previously the City Planning Department had put forward its own plans to the public. Now we are doing the reverse. We are listening to visions and dreams of the people", says Tuomas Rajajärvi of the City Planning Department.
      Rajajärvi insists that this is not a competition in which the best proposal is chosen. "We want to raise debate. We are inviting both laypeople and professionals to join."
      The proposals will be collected and analysed for their positive and negative sides, and only then will more precise planning begin.
     
This is the first time that children and young people are involved in something like this.
      "Hopefully they will sense that it is possible to have an influence on the environment", Rajajärvi emphasises.
      With a model of their design in front of them, the Arkki designers say that they feel that it would be important to have a sheltered bay at the tip of Hernesaari as a boat harbour.
      "We can have a marina, a pavilion, and cruise vessels can anchor there. Next to them, there is a heliport", explains 18-year-old Jaakko Heikinheimo. It is also possible to build a cultural centre, an indoor swimming pool, and cafes."
      Janina Raikkala, 15, and Laura Tähtinen, 16, feel that the shores must be left as green areas, so that everyone can enjoy the sea.
      A canal cutting across the area also brings the water closer, especially by allowing small boats to pass through. There would be a central square on the banks of the canal, with various events all the time.
      The straight shoreline of the Arkki plan would be broken by building small residential islands. "They are connected to each other, and to the mainland by bridges. Each of the islands would have three or four small apartment buildings and yards", explains Sofia Hillberg, age 12.
      The floating residential areas would be placed in an inlet near the Eira shore.
     
Proposals from the neighbourhood call for turning Hernesaari into a virtually car-free zone.
      The use of the shoreline park would be similar to that of Seurasaari. Cycling would be permitted, and some of the paths would be paved for roller-skaters", says Kaija Santaholma of an association representing residents of Helsinki’s southern districts.
      "Hernesaari must not be allowed to become a dormitory town. It should also attract people spending their free time, says Petteri Ormio, a local resident.
      His working group is calling for three-storey urban houses in the interior. For the southern tip, he suggests a spa, a hotel, and saunas.


Links:
  Arkki School of Architecture for Children and Youth
  Helsinki City Planning Department: Hernesaari Local Master Plan - Design Brief for Consultants (PDF file)

Helsingin Sanomat