Stansvik – High Quality Affordable Housing with Emphasis on Nature
High quality affordable housing is under way to be built in Stansvikinkallionkatu 5. Building permit has been granted for the block of apartments in the newly developing part of Helsinki, Kruunuvuori, or “The Crown Mountain”. Located in the Stansvik area of Kruunuvuorenranta, the block is part of a multi-year project that transforms the city’s former oil port in Laajasalo into a residential neighborhood.
Located in East Helsinki across the bay just one kilometer away from the Central Market Square, the new area offers a broad diversity of housing types. With the new car-free Kruunuvuorensilta bridge opening in 2026, the area is easily accessible with a tram ride of only 15 minutes from downtown.
The Kruunuvuori residential area is divided into several smaller sections and built in stages. First residents moved into the area in 2015. The development will continue over the next several years, with the estimated completion of construction expected around 2030. The section around the Stansvikinkallio Cliff is one of the last ones to be built in the area.
The complex on Stansvikinkallionkatu 5 will offer a total of 141 state supported affordable rental apartments built by the city’s housing office. Careful architectural design and tight collaboration with the city’s building department aim at a high level of quality in the housing.
The block features ample common spaces for the community of residents both on the ground level and on the roof floor, including three saunas, club rooms and rooftop terraces complementing the generous communal courtyard. Ranging in size from studios to four-room family units, the apartments are carefully dimensioned to ensure flexibility and functionality. Different apartment types are evenly distributed across the entire block. The layout of the apartments on the first and second floors differs from the rest of the floors bringing added variability to the block.
Preserving the Natural Values of Stansvik
The new apartment block to be built in the Stansvik area is formed around the rocky landscape of the site. To the east, north and west, the plot borders Stansvikinkallionkatu. To the south, the plot borders Stansvikinkallio Park. Emphasizing the special character of the nature on the site, as much vegetation and the natural landforms as possible will be preserved. Existing elements of the terrain such as the rock wall and wetland are included in the landscape plan for the yard.
The curved arrangement of the building creates a pleasant microclimate on the courtyard on the south side of the block. It forms a protective wind break and deflects street noise. The preserved forest on the site helps moderate temperature. The balconies provide natural sun-shading for the south-facing apartments in the courtyard side of the block.
Emphasizing the connection to nature in the area, the communal courtyard merges seamlessly with the woodlands and trails in the area. Existing forest and rock outcrop are preserved where possible. Combined with native plantings and permeable walking surfaces, a retention pond in the courtyard slows rainwater runoff helping with stormwater retention. In the yard, cultivation boxes are provided for residents.
Kruunuvuori – An Area Surrounded by Nature
The Kruunuvuori area is surrounded by nature, yet also well connected to services. The seaside location offers a rich array of outdoor activities and recreation opportunities. The natural scenery varies from rocky forests to coastal meadows and small, bare islands. There are pathways and nature trails following the shoreline. They run through the varied landscape of rugged outcrops and valley groves in the area.
The area gets its name from the Kruunuvuori Hill. Today, it is largely a recreational area. In the middle of what almost seems like a wilderness area, there is the Kruunuvuorenlampi pond. It was formed and nestled in a rock formation thousands of years ago. Along with its shoreline, it is a designated nature reserve. The Stansvik grove and mine area nature reserve is about five and a half hectares. The mine shafts have filled with water and have been fenced off. In the southeastern part of Kruunuvuori there is also a protected linden grove.
From an Elite Villa Resort to Oil Port to a Residential Area
Over its history, the Kruunuvuori area has transformed from a 19th-century elite villa resort to an oil harbor and now finally into a modern residential district. Kruunuvuori came into existence in the late 19th century, when Laajasalo and all of eastern Helsinki were just fields and forests. Originally part of the coastal landscape near Suomenlinna, it became a popular summer retreat for the wealthy in the early 1900s. The stunning coastline and lush forest made it an ideal place to be developed it into a resort for the upper classes. Over time it became available to the middle-classes as well.
In the 1920, the area became a site of various types of harbor activities. In 1951 it officially became the oil port of the city. It has been known for its large oil storage tanks, which operated from the 1940s to the 2010s. Plans for turning the area into a place of modern housing were first proposed already in the 1960s. However, it was not until 2012 that the City of Helsinki made a decision to begin transforming the area into a residential neighborhood. The old, abandoned villas and oil tanks have now gradually been replaced with contemporary housing to provide homes for the growing number of people in the city.
Amending the Local Plan for Stansvik to Care for the Forest Nature
The local plan currently in effect for the Kruunuvuorentanta area was approved in 2020. However, to respect the natural values of the forest of the Stansvik area, a new, revised local plan has been proposed for the Stansvikinkallio section of the area.
The amended local plan proposes that the majority of the plan area be zoned as green and recreational areas. 3.7 hectares more forest and green areas would be preserved than in the currently effective plan. It is also proposed not to build new streets in the plan area. The new proposed plan supports the preservation of the area’s natural values.
It suggests reducing the amount of construction in the Stansvik area from 27 apartment buildings down to only six buildings. This means a reduction in square meters from 37 800 down to 10 600 square meters of housing. Respectively, it means a significant reduction also in the number of residents in the area, from 900 to 250.
The amended plan is intended to be presented to the Urban Environment Committee of the City of Helsinki in May or June 2026.