Shorelines. Residential areas by the water

shorelines Residential areas by the water

Antti Luutonen / Arkkitehdit NRT Oy

Foreword 9

foreword Shorelines. Residential areas by the water discusses the maritime, lakeside and riverfront character of the metropolis consisting of Helsinki and the surrounding cities. Finland has 320,000 kilometres of shoreline – which is equal to eight times the Earth’s circumference.

The densely populated capital region and the city of Lahti boast hundreds of kilometres of sea, lake and river shores. The proximity to water and the diversity of the shores strongly contribute to the feel of these cities. The number of publicly accessible waterfronts is an attractive feature in the region, even by international standards.

However, in the future, the shores may become even better integrated into the urban life and landscape. At the moment, waterfront areas are subject to intensive planning and restructuring, with the cities opening towards the water. Ports, industries and villa colonies are complemented by new maritime districts and recreational areas.

Free-form natural shores and developed industrial waterfronts are being reshaped to meet new urban objectives. The relationship of the cities to water is changing once again.

12 Juhana Lahti

Our beloved shores…

Helsinki and the sea make a unique pair – there are precious few cities with a centre so close to the open sea. This has been the case practically ever since the Sveaborg (later Suomenlinna) fortress was built. Before that, the major population centres were the Helsinge parish village and the Vanhakaupunki area, located by important waterways.

The view I adopt of Helsinki in this article exceeds the current municipal boundaries. I will approach the Helsinki region, or the capital region, as one urban area that has a centre on the Helsinki peninsula and will concentrate on its historical development. Currently, the metropolitan area is considered to extend from Helsinki to Lahti, which is included as the second major centre in the area.

The historical phases of the built environment in the capital region open a view of the historically layered nature of cities across Finland.1 Urban development has had a considerable impact on shores, and the historical layers are visibly present. In agrarian times, natural shores began to be accompanied by landscapes that are currently perceived as traditional or cultural landscapes. During industrialisation, shores were seized for the construction of in-

dustrial buildings and harbours (largely involving reclaiming land from the sea), whereas in recent decades there has been an increasing tendency to plan the waterfront to be part of residential areas and the city. All these levels are still present, and the new residential areas, too, can be linked to any of these historical layers. In our northern latitudes, we also get a coat of ice in the winter, which adds yet another level to the mix and influences the use of the waterfront.2 The name Shorelines refers both to what we see out there and to the drawing aspect of the urban planning profession. In the city of Helsinki, the name also refers to the fact that a considerable part of Helsinki’s waterfronts are reclaimed land, not natural shores.

The capital region and its change through time Helsinki is located by the sea, not just lying on a delta or sprawling inland from the shore, but mostly spread over a peninsula and a number of islands.

The sea has an exceptionally strong presence in Helsinki, and you can even enjoy some open sea views. Unlike in other central ports in the Baltic Sea region, the city centre that the public can access reaches all the way to

the waterfront. The 21st century has also seen the cargo port areas in the centre being returned to use by the inhabitants of the city. Due to its location, Helsinki has a very long shoreline, totalling more than 120 kilometres of seashore. Over time, the Helsinki shoreline has been moved to incorporate dozens of islands.

In addition to the shores, the archipelago has traditionally been an important recreation area in the capital region.3 The city of Espoo shoreline has traditionally been a place for villas and summer residences, and since the 1950s, it has undergone considerable suburbanisation, which still continues. Espoo has a little less than 60 kilometres of shoreline.

In the early 20th century, a new community of privately-owned villas had formed around Lake Gallträsk in Espoo, and this community later became the city of Kauniainen. The city of Vantaa, on the other hand, only has riverfronts. Running through Vantaa, the former rural municipality of Helsinki, are the rivers Vantaa and Kerava, which runs into the former. The centres of historical settlements in the capital region were established on rivers: Vanhakaupunki at the mouth of the Vantaa river and the Helsinge parish

Our Beloved Shores... 13

A plan for the use of areas in the Helsinki region from 1945.

Birger Brunila.

village at the crossing of the two rivers, the latter seeing the most building activity in Vantaa at the turn of the 21st century.

The city of Lahti, established in 1905 and located at the southern end of Lake Päijänne, has, at the turn of the millennium, been developing the zone between its city centre and waterfront. The harbour and industrial area are increasingly being zoned for recreational, cultural and residential use. The capital region and the city of Lahti are home to one quarter of the Finnish population and the majority of the nation’s immigrants.

The city of Helsinki was founded in 1550. It was moved to its current location in 1640 and became the capital in 1812.

The planning of the city can be considered to have started with its designation as the

capital, although we should not underestimate the construction of fortresses in the late 18th century, especially as they are such a characteristic part of the Helsinki landscape even today. Over the last two centuries, Helsinki has been growing continuously. In the 19th century, work began on building the Empire-style city centre, which was an important stage in the formation of the current cityscape. In the capital’s 200 years of development, the need for extra land has played a major role. Several actions have been taken to meet this need.

Since the 19th century, the city has been buying land from the neighbouring rural municipalities. The late 19th century saw the beginning of land reclamation from the sea, which has been an important means of

22 Panu Lehtovuori

SHORES AS DYNAMOS OF THE HELSINKI REGION A Dream of Spontaneous Production of Urban Space

A dream A house of my own by the water in a city. This is the sarcastic cliché of the Finnish dream lifestyle. Yet the idea of leading an urban lifestyle surrounded by nature still holds some truth because of our lack of more contemporary descriptions of dreams that are better suited to the reality of today’s Helsinki region.

In our visions, the division between city and nature is sharp. Helsinki city urban planners want dense European urbanity, whereas the residents stand up for their neighbourhood woods – or so we are told.

Some idealise what is known as “stadi”, the traditional urban Helsinki, and some are afraid of it. ”City” and “nature” as terms get us stuck, as do their kindred concepts “urbanity”, “naturalness”, and “closeness to nature”...

In fact, we fail to grasp what they really mean. You could even say that they have been ideologised, or turned into tools for philosophies or businesses, or smokescreens that prevent us from seeing what is real. A developer may talk about throbbing urban life while actually referring to large volumes of floor space to sell. Similarly, a civic activist

may talk about the values of urban woods while actually referring to the view through his own window.

Conflicting interests and their pursuit are a normal part of society. Yet it is a shame that any discussion seriously aimed at creating new solutions tends to get polarised into the extremes of city and nature. Such a dichotomy fails to serve the discussion of developing urban life and an urban environment.

A couple of years ago, the Finnish press wrote about the flight from the city and the “Nurmijärvi phenomenon”.

Matti Vanhanen, the former Centre Party prime minister, used the term of “concrete party” and presented his alternative, the ”mobile model” of a region consisting of rural garden villages.1 In reality, these two are not mutually exclusive. A functional urban region needs both dense hubs and spacious areas, both global networking and spontaneous micro-communities.

At the moment, the city of Espoo is also said to be suffering from the flight of well-to-do home owners, and the authorities are wondering if their city planning has made the mistake

of creating excessively ”urban” designs. It is quite clear that this view is both fallacious and misleading. Migration – if it is an issue – is caused by the equation of regional accessibility and the price of housing, which is not dependent on the dichotomy of city and nature. If housing was affordable in the city centre, people would move there.

Yet empirical and critical research of housing preferences tends to fall into similar traps: researchers have, for example, identified “nature urban” engineers and “city centre urban” designers.2 Surely, the field of people’s wishes and choices is more multifaceted. We need good, creative and versatile solutions throughout the Helsinki region.

The majority of Finns live in towns or cities or in their immediate vicinity. The idea of the value of naturalness or closeness to nature is essentially an urban idea concocted by city-dwellers.3 On the other hand, you may consider a city to be part of nature. Cities are cultural landscapes, and a kind of habitat for the human species. Cities also provide a good environment for numerous other species such as eagle-owls and rabbits.

We need to rethink the relationship between city and nature. We have to create a new discourse, a new sphere of ways of understanding and speaking.

At the same time, the relationship between city and nature is tangibly changing, and has been so for a while. The city is not something separate from nature and the country: constantly expanding urban regions are becoming a major part of the totality of ecosystems. They have both local (urban fauna) and global (water economy, carbon balance, resting places for migratory birds) significance.

Located on the northern edge of Europe, Helsinki and

its environs, too, grow and differentiate. New spaces emerge in cities, and urban residents develop new ways of dwelling and living. How should we interpret the change taking place in Helsinki, its uniqueness and the special traits of the urban living environment at large?

The shores of Helsinki as a key to interpretation A house of my own by the water in a city. It is quite surprising that we seldom discuss the role of water in the dream clichĂŠ mentioned above. The house is located by water, by a lake or by the sea. It is equally surprising that, in the narrative of

the emergence of the Helsinki region, the significance of the borderline between land and water, the waterfronts, has been limited to a general remark on the role of water traffic and harbours.4 Below, I aim to show how, by a closer look, it is the shorelines which provide us with a fresh key to interpretation of the history of the Helsinki region, its current character and sphere of meanings, and the possibilities of future urban development.

They provide a viewpoint for the social production of urban space, consisting of the physical urban space and its everyday use, the emotions and signifi-

Maria Putaansuu

Rannat Helsingin seudun dynamoina 23

38 Eija Rauske

HELSINGE PARISH VILLAGE

The Helsinge parish village in the 19th century.

The surroundings of Helsinge parish village exude old world charm, which will calm the hurried visitor, but quiet the village is not. This is guaranteed by Ring Road III (1965) and the Tuusula motorway (1973) and their interchanges, which have encircled the village since the 1970s. Even with the intersecting roads, the village is still one of the best surviving parish villages in Uusimaa, and it houses the oldest school still in operation in Finland, from 1837. It is the smallest district of the city of Vantaa, at only 0.7 square kilometres, with a population of 136 at the start of 2010.

The parish village settlement dates from the Middle Ages, with immigrants from Sweden sailing inland, up the Vantaa river, in the 12th and 13th centuries and settling in the lush river valley in the meander of the Kerava river. Written records first mention the village in 1351. Located on a major waterway, the village also became a the society of swedish literature in finland, the archives of folk culture

Helsinge Parish Village / Vantaa 39

Š helsinki city real estate department, city survey division 038/2012 / vantaa city survey division 2012

52 Eija Rauske

The most unique living environment in Helsinki is Suomenlinna, an area of fortress islands isolated from the city by the sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, and a living community of slightly less than 900 inhabitants. The neighbourhood of Suomenlinna currently includes eight islands: Kustaanmiekka, Susisaari, Iso Mustasaari, Pikku Mustasaari, L채nsi-Mustasaari, S채rkk채, Pormestarinluodot and Lonna. The land area and the surrounding water area measure 80 hectares each.

Suomenlinna is characterised by the fortifications rising from the rugged shoreline and the urban structure contained within, formed by severe stone houses, areas of wooden houses, configurations of squares and parks. The area boasts nearly 300 historic buildings.

Started in 1748, the construction of Sveaborg, or Viapori, was the largest and most expensive building project of the Swedish kingdom, and primarily financed by France. The irregularly laid out, gigantic bastion fortress that was built on uninhabited outer islands outside Helsinki has strengthened the naval defence of three nations Aukusti heinonen

Suomenlinna / Helsinki 53

Š helsinki city real estate department, city survey division 038/2012

108 Eija Rauske

The Taivaanvuohentie housing company, Taivaanvuohentie 3–9, from 1951–1955. Niilo Kokko.

the fortification of the island began in the 1850s. From 1871, the manor was owned by the Russian merchant Ivan Wavulin, whose son Vilhelm was instrumental in transforming the island into a villa area of the gentry in the 1890s. The parcelling plan dating from Wavulin’s time guided the development of the island all the way into the 1940s. When Wavulin died, his heirs offered to sell the island to the city of Helsinki – to no avail. So, in 1911, Lauttasaari ended up in the hands of Julius Tallberg.

Julius Tallberg (1857–1921) was a businessman and a local politician. After attempting to sell the island to the city – again, with no luck – Tallberg fervently began to develop the island. He assigned the Helsinki deputy town planning architect Birger Brunila to draw a plan for the area. Completed in 1913, the plan, even in its unratified form, guided development for a long time. Tallberg established a casino and an outdoor theatre to attract people to visit the island.

Transport connections were improved: the Drumsö steam ferry went into service on May Day eve in 1914, and the same year saw the completion of a horse-driven tramline, which, however, was not profitable and only operated until 1917. In the winter, the sea offered new forms of transport. Rails were laid on the ice, and people could also access the island via a wooden footbridge that also rested on the ice.

Tallberg helped to make the island a popular outdoor recreation spot, Maria Putaansuu

Lauttasaari / Helsinki 109

The Ekonomitalo housing company, Taivaanvuohentie 14, from 1952.

Ahti Korhonen.

and one of its main attractions was a sledge hill that extended from the Myllykallio rock to the shore.

Tallberg, who was interested in harbours and urban housing development, also played a background role in the 1918 Pro Helsingfors town planning scheme by Eliel Saarinen and Bertel Jung. This radical and revolutionary plan reflected a belief in the future of a nation that had just gained its independence and, if realised, would have made Helsinki into a dense metropolis. Lauttasaari would have been zoned as a harbour and residential area.

In 1920, Lauttasaari was separated from the Helsinki rural municipality and joined together with Munkkiniemi to form the Huopalahti municipality. Later the same year, Lauttasaari was designated a densely populated community and became partially autonomous. In the decade to follow, after a long time in the works, a major bridge project was implemented. Lauttasaari’s narrow, 340-metre lattice bridge was opened in December 1935, which marked the end of peace and quiet. From 1937 to 1939, 28 blocks of flats were built on the island and the population doubled; by 1939, there were 2,242 residents. A plan that the Tallberg heirs commissioned from Brunila in 1936 followed his previous plan with its curving streets.

The first building to be completed was Pohjoiskaari 4, designed by Helge LundstrĂśm in 1937. Buildings erected near the bridge include Maria Putaansuu

162 Eija Rauske

Viewed from the Sibelius Hall waterfront, the most distant neighbourhood, Ruoriniemi, seems to rise like a mountain with its tall stepped buildings. Developed between 1995 and 2006, the landmarks of Ruoriniemenranta are pyramid-shaped buildings with 3 to 12 storeys. The first of these was completed in the late 1990s according to the designs of Juhani Boman and much to the amazement of the residents of the city. Experts discussed the issue of the wind for quite some time, deciding eventually to fight the problem with plantings and fences.

The guideline in the design of Ankkuri was to open all the waterfronts – three kilometres of shoreline in total – for public access.

Private shores owned by the rich, à la Kulosaari or Westend, were not wanted here. One of the unusual features related to the design of the waterfronts was that, because of the regulation of the lake, the water level only varies some 30 cm. Thanks to this, light, small-scale steps have sufficed for treating the shoreline.

The ribbon of waterfront parks and squares along the shoreline of the Vesijärvi lake starts from the humpback bridge of the breakwater at Teivas harbour; it continues along the narrow embankment and old stone railway bridge to Satamaraitti, past the Sibelius Hall and the Piano pavilion; and it reaches the curving Rantapromenadi and Ankkuri park, north of which Ruoriniemi opens, with a park at its point. Visitors can admire the old iron ships in Vesijärvi harbour, take a seat on the deck of a restaurant ship, or enjoy a freshly baked bun in the railway station building dating from 1870. Toddlers can paddle in the children’s pool of Ankkuri waterfront park. At the point of Ruoriniemi, there are jetties for boats and the only natural shore of Ankkuri, with the Kapteeninaukio swimming beach. In the summer, the passenger harbour is bubbling with life, with its fish market and events. The popularity of lake cruises is on the increase, and the harbour is filled with people arriving, leaving, or just lingering. In the winter, outdoors enthusiasts have the entire ice-covered expanse of lake at their disposal: from the cross-country ski tracks and the walking paths, you can admire the new waterfront city in all its splendour.

Airamo, Raimo 2008. Lahden Ankkuri, rantakaupungin nousu tehtaan raunioista – New lakeside city rises from factory ruins. [Lahti]: [Lahden kaupunki]; [Helsinki]: [Ympäristöministeriö].

Arkkitehti The Finnish Architectural Review 1/1994, 4/2000, 4/2008.

Tuomi, Timo 1992. “Lahden kaupunkikuvan ja arkkitehtuurin kehityspiirteitä” – Lahden historia 2. [Lahti]: Lahden kaupunki, 15–116. www.casseli.fi/piano.php?page=113 (15.6.2011). www.kukamitalahti.fi/main.php?id=1 (15.6.2011). www.lahti.fi/www/cms.nsf/pages/B8A0A1C7853DD257C2256E86003A8C91 (15.6.2011).

Kaisa Karhu

In 1966, Helsinki incorporated Vuosaari, an area of more than 15 square kilometres that, until then, was part of Helsinki rural municipality. Vuosaari became the 54th district of the capital: the biggest and the easternmost. It remained the easternmost until 2009, when Helsinki took over the southwest corner of Sipoo and a piece of Vantaa. 500 years ago, Vuosaari was indeed an island (‘saari’), and even today it is surrounded by water on three sides. The district boasts more than 30 islands, with 20 kilometres of shoreline. It is no wonder that the waterfronts were chosen as the main target when developing and infilling the district. Aurinkolahti is a prime example of this policy.

When Vuosaari was annexed to Helsinki, the capital received a rapidly growing district of some 7,000 inhabitants that had been developed particularly by the Asuntosäästäjät (’Home savers’) association founded in the late 1950s, mainly on a DIY basis. Vuosaari was a green residential area with such highlights as the large block complex by Viljo Revell and a stepped block of flats that was quite unusual for the day. Yet the banks did not favour the actions of the association, and its operations in Vuosaari came to an end in 1968.

The Paulig coffee roastery was completed the same year.

Finland has 320,000 kilometres of shoreline – that’s eight times the Earth’s circumference! Seas, lakes and rivers are everywhere, with hundreds of kilometres of beaches found even in densely populated regions such as the capital and the southern town of Lahti. The proximity of water and beaches gives these cities a unique, vibrant identity, enhancing their liveability and competitiveness. Even so, urban shorelines could and should be integrated even more holistically as part of city life and the urban landscape.

Many waterfront areas are undergoing intense development at the moment: Finnish cities are opening up towards the sea. Traditionally occupied by ports, factories and holiday villas, Helsinki’s shorelines are becoming home to new waterfront residential communities and recreational environments. Natural, undeveloped beaches and hardedged industrial shorelines are being revitalized for new forms of urban usage. The city’s relationship with the waterfront is changing – and not for the first time in its history.