The Kalasatama youth center is in the planning phase, and construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026.
A space for young people in the Kalasatama area has long been desired, and the City of Helsinki’s Culture and Leisure Committee issued a decision in favor of the project plan in September 2025. Design work will continue in the fall of 2025, and construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026.
The new facility will be located next to the new Hermanninranta school on Vanha Talvitie. Upon completion, the building will house not only the school and the youth center but also a daycare center.
Opportunities for meaningful activities and building connections
The decision announcement states that the construction of the facilities will provide children and youth in the growing Hermanninranta and Kalasatama areas with the conditions for meaningful and equitable leisure activities. The decision notes that the youth center will help children and young people form connections with peer groups and participate in various activities.
Once completed, the space will be used for open access and group activities, thereby serving organizations other than youth services outside of its operating hours. Once completed, the youth center will cover more than 600 square meters, and four staff members will be hired to work there.
Project Manager Mari Koskinen from the City of Helsinki describes the building’s designas innovative and its architecture as timeless. “The combination of the geometric building and the lush courtyard also works well within the cityscape—the result is extremely successful,” he notes.
The design of the building’s courtyard emphasizes greenery and a nature theme, and the courtyard will feature, for example, nature trails and plantings. Motor skills equipment will be installed there, taking into account user groups of different ages.
Temporary facilities to be used before the final facilities are ready
The design competition for the school building, organized by the City of Helsinki, was won by the consortium of eQ Yhteiskuntakiinteistöt and YIT Rakennus Oy. Verstas Arkkitehdit served as the architectural designer for the competition.
Until the permanent facilities are completed, temporary facilities will be provided for the youth. These facilities will be funded by additional funding to be included in the 2026 budget, as well as through participatory budgeting.
You can read more about the project in the related City of Helsinki documents.