Helsinki to sell three buildings in Alppiharju

The first buildings in Finland designed for tuberculosis patients

These three-storey buildings were completed in 1924–1931 as apartments for workers with tuberculosis and their families. They were designed by architect Gunnar Taucher and their façades are protected.  Recently, the buildings were reserved for the municipal social administration unit, but the City of Helsinki doesn’t have use for the buildings anymore. All three buildings are in need of a renovation, but the floor plans make them well suited for use as dwellings. The valuable courtyard area of the block, with its gardens, will be restored.

This new building would potentially be located on the Viipurinkatu side. The new building must be appropriate to the surrounding environment and of a similar height as other buildings in the area. The ground floor should have business properties to liven up the street.

Currently, the buildings have a total floor area of 2,520 m² and the new building should have a total floor area of 2,500-3,400 m², depending on the implementation. The plot will be leased for non-subsidised production of owner-occupied dwellings, of which 50% must be in family apartments.

The City and the competition winner will organize an architectural competition

The price competition will begin on 20 December 2024 and end on 21 March 2024 at 3 pm. Invitations to the architectural competition are intended to be sent in late 2025. In 2026–2027, the city and the winner of the price competition will prepare a proposed change to the detailed plan, based on the winning proposal of the architectural competition.

The competition will be decided on the unit price (€/floor area m²) offered for the residential building rights. A fixed asking price of 2.25 million euros has been set for the three protected buildings.

The webpage hel.fi/tonttihaut includes detailed instructions for the competition (in Finnish).