LET THE BIRDS SING!
Scale: XL/ S
Team representative: architect, landscape architect
Location: Helsinki Eastern Archipelago
Population: City 658,864 inhabitants, Greater Helsinki Area 1 320 000 inhabitants
Reference site: 68 ha + 13 ha + 4 ha + 4 ha + 16 ha
Project site: 8 ha + 7 ha + 2 ha + 1 ha + 6 ha
Site proposed by: City of Helsinki
Owner of the site: City of Helsinki
Commission after competition: Further studies on the level of concept and landscape design; goal of implementing a project at one or more of the pilot islands.
Helsinki’s eastern archipelago is a unique maritime milieu with valuable natural and cultural-historical sites and varying landscapes. The public use of the eastern archipelago has so far been low compared to the number of islands and the extent of the area, but in the future new landing sites (the coastal areas suitable for landing and arriving to an island by various modes of movement, like boats, water buses and canoes) and related structures, constructions and buildings will be an essential part of promoting the general recreational use of the archipelago and improving its services and accessibility.
Besides the docks, jetties and pontoons, other elements which need to be located within the vicinity of the landing sites, include for example: cafes, kiosks, saunas, barbeque shelters, fireplaces and firewood storages, toilets and waste containers, and equipment to routes and trails such as info boards, signs, fences and duckboards.
The goal of the competition is to conceive a design concept and an architectural system for these diverse elements which can be easily adapted to various sites and situations, and can be tested on different kinds of pilot sites. The system should be flexible and simple enough in order to be easily expandable and relocatable, and the visual concept should reflect the spirit of Helsinki archipelago.
Landing sites should also be social meeting places where different user groups share the same areas and functions, benefitting from their closeness. Building conditions on islands and in other coastal areas create challenges for the proposed structures, which should enhance the values and characteristics of different islands and provide a holistic solution for the responsible recreation in the eastern archipelago.
The competition is organized by the Urban Space and Landscape Planning.Department of Helsinki in collaboration with Europan Finland. The intention of the Planning Department is to give a commission to the winner/s design the pilot site(s) at the level of landscape and construction design..