Introduction
The project is located in Hakaniemenranta, Helsinki, which is a coastal urban design with a design area of 22 hectares. The design uses water as an important starting point to integrate the city with water. Through the relationship between urban structure and water, the design strengthens the characteristics of coastal cities. Through the shaping of urban nodes, the design activates the vitality and potential of the coastal city. Through the shaping of various public spaces, the design has brought the distance between the public life and the natural landscape closer. This results in a new and unique urban code for the Hakaniemi waterfront.
Hakaniemi Urban Code
Highlights:
A vision for a new urban water district.
Helsinki has numerous connections to the water, from the open sea shores to the industrious harbours and the green bays. The waterfront of Helsinki has great variety, but is somewhat lacking a more urban condition. Hakaniemenranta offers through its narrow water conditions and the proximity of the urban fabric on both sides of the water the best conditions of urbanity by the water in the entire Helsinki.
Details
To accentuate and strengthen the urban water conditions of Hakaniemi, the first step of this transformation is the extending of the surrounding city grids towards the water. The northern city blocks and the southern park are approaching the water. A mere extension of the urban block structure towards the water would exclude a large part of the Hakaniemi waterfront from public access. By introducing a compelling combination of open, stepping down, lifted and floating block typologies, the new urban structure allows for open access through the entire Hakaniemi water front area. On the south side, the urban park is extended further down into the water.
Recommended
The area is surrounded by important anchor points, such as the Hakaniemi square and market building, the ferry dock, the new car bridge and hotel. By adding one central pedestrian and cycle bridge, new loops are created within the Hakaniemi waterfront area that connect these anchor points and add new ones and bring the Hakaniemi, Merihaka and Kruununhaka districts closer to each other. These loops create a huge new urban potential for the Hakaniemi Waterfront.
Along the urban loops a unique sequence of public water spaces is created. These spaces step down to the water in various ways and activate the waterfront with a variety of functions in all seasons. In the northern part these water spaces are connected through the open block structure and it’s inviting patchwork of Finnish micro landscapes and in the southern part it’s the active urban park that steps into the water through light public structures.
Conclusions
Due to its special natural talents, coastal cities have different urban landscapes and urban characteres than other types of cities. Water affects the structure, landscape and daily life of the city. Coastal cities are designed to respect, protect and integrate water networks. The design should regard water as an important element in urban space, urban ecological environment, urban economy and urban social life. The design is to make water a source of urban vitality and a guarantee of urban ecology, not a city barrier.
FULL STORY:
Hakaniemi Urban Code
Published in 2018 in Mandaworks
TOPICS | Finland | Intelligent | Compositive
Reference:
| Lat: | 60.1798 |
| Lng: | 24.9504 |
| Type: | |
| Region: | Europe |
| Scale: | District |
| Field: | Compositive |
| City: | Helsinki |