Project background

 More vibrantly

We are bringing life, services, and greenery here so that city residents can enjoy a good everyday life.

Vallila has enormous untapped potential. The former industrial and office area near the city center has fallen into disuse in recent years. Even if renovated, empty offices will not attract new customers, but by changing their purpose, they will be replaced by apartments and services for all city residents. New residents and services will bring a new kind of life to Vallila. Helsinki is growing, and we should make the most of all the good locations. The aim of renewing the block is to make more efficient use of the existing buildings.

More sustainably

Circular economy methods in construction will be used extensively here.

The aim in developing the block is to preserve as many existing structures as possible, remove suitable building components intact and reuse materials. Removable building components suitable for reuse will primarily be used within the block and secondarily at other sites. The block project can serve as a testbed for innovations and new operating methods and demonstrate what circular economy in construction actually means.

Currently, there is very little greenery in the block. By dismantling the decked courtyards, a ground-level courtyard can be created, enabling trees to grow large, increasing the number of inner courtyards and, in addition, aiming to raise the block’s green factor to approximately ten times its current level. The block is currently an exceptionally wide-framed structure. As part of the transformation, some buildings will have narrower frames, allowing natural light to reach the renewed, green courtyards.

More respectfully

We are bringing this block to life so that we can have more of Vallila.

Revitalizing Vallila requires residents who use a variety of services. New housing and services bring life to street level at all hours of the day. The new buildings are designed to be flexible in the future, should the needs change. The architecture and the design of active street space take into account Vallila’s identity, its historical layers, and a human scale. The block also enables ambitious housing solutions that may not have been possible elsewhere in the inner city. What matters most is that the overall concept becomes something that city dwellers can easily embrace as their own.

More courageously

We are boldly piloting new types of housing, circular economy solutions, and services for Vallila.

The people working in Vallila and the various cultural actors have a lot of knowledge and understanding of the area's unique identity. YIT wants to utilize this understanding already in the planning phase of the block project. It is also important to involve future users already in the early stages to ensure that the new buildings meet the wishes of the city's residents. New plans in the old area can also raise concerns among the current actors in Vallila or residents of the surrounding areas. That is why it is important that they are heard.