We planned a massive project for the Töölönlahti (Töölö Bay) area in Helsinki; a park in the center of the city with an inlet, which had become polluted. The plan was to dredge the bay, clean it and make the area a more inviting place to spend time, swim, row a boat, or have a picnic.
The plan also included an underpass, which would make cycling through the city much faster.
Töölönlahti would maintain its natural, familiar characteristics. We got the visionary Danish architect agency COBE to plan the southern part of Töölönlahti, which would have modern wooden buildings instead of concrete ones and a museum, a hotel, saunas, a boardwalk and other seaside attractions, which would be suitable for Helsinki, a city by the sea.
The biggest obstacle hindering the clean-up of Töölönlahti was financial because the city wants to save money. The project was planned from the get-go to be privately funded.
An important part of my contribution was planning the project site Kansalaispuisto.fi, its content, structure, and tone. It was important to get citizens to understand what sort of an opportunity the project presented while allaying fears that their beloved natural area would remain unharmed.
Erik Mashkilleyson: portfolio 