Arabia Factory Area masterplan

Arabia factory area is one of the largest urban infill projects on a site that is already fully built in Helsinki.

A series of new public outdoor spaces cuts a route through the factory area.

The entrance to Hämeentie 135 area is marked by the new urban square in front of the old factory.

The smaller squares and courtyards mix new and old. An old warehouse becomes a public sauna.

Flexible spaces of the old factory connect to urban areas and cater various uses from traditional retail to services and production.

Arabia Factory Area masterplan

Description:

Hämeentie 135 block in Helsinki, formerly the home of Arabia ceramics factory, is one of the largest urban infill masterplans on a site that is already fully built.

The built history of the Arabia factory area comprises a series of transformations. Departure of the ceramics factory and Aalto University will mark another change for the Hämeentie 135 factory area. This latest phase extends the tradition where historical layers remain visible and the development serves the changed demands of the future. In the masterplan based on a competition win, new apartments, offices, retail premises and services will be fitted in and around the old factory spaces complementing the services already situated in the area. A series of new public outdoor spaces cuts a route through the factory area.