Plans revealed of new Russian Embassy block
City Planning Department has been reluctant to disclose details of project
Russia intends to build a new five-storey block on the vacant lot next to its embassy complex on Helsinki's Tehtaankatu.
Drawings acquired by Helsingin Sanomat indicate that the site, which has remained undeveloped for nearly twenty years, will be occupied - if permission is forthcoming - by a box-like building with three wings.
The vacant plot of land between Tehtaankatu and Vuorimiehenkatu would be filled by residential and office premises.
The Russian Federation would also like to erect a further building at some later stage.
One special feature of the development is a swimming hall to be built in the basement.
The City of Helsinki's Planning Department has not been overly eager to make public the plans for the site, claiming that as yet they are incomplete.
The Russian side, too, has been very quiet on the matter.
One reason for this may be that the sale of the land in 1990 to the then Soviet Union raised quite a bit of protest.
There was a minority within the City Board who would not have wished to sell the plot of land, which fetched FIM 75 million (c. 12.5 million euros) at the time.
One further bone of contention is that under the terms of the original sale, the buyer was to arrange a design competition with the city on any building to be erected on the site.
A competition has been held, but the City of Helsinki took no part in it.
When the time comes to choose a main contractor for the project, the tendering will be open only to Russian firms with a licence to build embassy premises outside Russia.
The choice of a contractor will be made next spring, and Finnish sub-contractors could also be involved in the building work.
Helsingin Sanomat
