Little Finlandia’s move and conversion to school extension starts – an exceptional project

The number of students at Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Media Arts (Moisiontie 3, Tapulikaupungintie 2) is expected to increase by 220 in the coming years, due to which the school is in need of additional space and operational changes. This additional space is now being provided in the form of the building that served as the temporary facility of Finlandia Hall during its renovation, to which end the building will be relocated from Töölönlahti to Tapulikaupunki. The relocated building will provide space for approximately 1,200 students. 

The relocation of a building the size of Little Finlandia is an exceptional project in Finland. The aim of the project is to provide valuable lessons on the use of buildings designed for portability as part of public service construction.

The project will also contribute to the City of Helsinki's circular economy objectives, as the carbon emissions of the relocated building will be significantly lower compared to the construction of a new building. The wooden building will act as a carbon sink throughout its life cycle, and by reusing large building components, the carbon footprint of construction can be significantly reduced.

Original look of the building to be preserved

Little Finlandia will be moved to Tapulikaupunki in February–May 2026. The building is composed of large modules weighing up to 18 tonnes each, which will be dismantled, protected and loaded onto lorries in Töölönlahti. The modules will then be transported one by one to Tapulikaupunki, where they will be lifted onto a newly constructed foundation and rejoined.

After the relocation of the modules, the building will be developed as a whole as an extension to the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Media Arts while preserving the distinctive look of the original building, such as the recognisable tree trunk pillars, high ceilings and large windows. The building will provide comfortable and bright facilities for the school.

"This is a unique project that combines architectural quality, technical expertise and sustainable development principles," says Project Director Mika Heimala.

The building was originally designed by a design team from the Department of Architecture at Aalto University in collaboration with Arkkitehdit NRT Oy. The party responsible for the architectural design of the reuse and relocation of the building is Renell Käppi Arkkitehdit Oy.  
Little Finlandia will continue to operate as an event centre in Töölönlahti until the end of 2025.  After that, 70% of the building will be relocated to Tapulikaupunki. The rest will serve in the future as a maintenance building for Tali Football Hall.

Construction of a pleasant street space, compatible with the adjacent Töölönlahdenpuisto Park, will start next to the building. Among other things, 31 new trees will be added to the street. In addition to this, space has been reserved for an outdoor dining area where the Little Finlandia terrace now stands.

School to also undergo modifications

Once completed, the school extension will house the school’s kitchen and cafeteria as well as teaching and group work facilities. The school’s existing kitchen and cafeteria will be converted into teaching facilities, and the existing school building will also undergo other modifications. The aim is to create facilities that better support the current curriculum and a more pleasant yard.

Preconstruction on the school plot will start in November 2025. The plan is to have the extension completed in December 2026 and then proceed to the modifications to the main building, which will be completed by the 2027 autumn semester. The pavilion building currently located on the school plot will be removed in spring 2027.

The main contractor for the project is Rakennus Oy Antti J. Ahola.