Lotus Demolition has started tearing down the 1960-commissioned facility, used as a passenger terminal for high-speed vessels sailing to Tallinn since the 1990s.

The demolition of the terminal, designed initially as a warehouse (hence its name meaning "warehouse" in Finnish), will be completed by early July this year.

Waste will be transported from the site outside ship unloading hours to minimise the disturbance caused by the demolition to the harbour area and road network.

Moreover, the Port of Helsinki underlined in a press release, "As much of the demolition waste as possible will be sorted and recycled. Steel and other metal waste will be directed to further use, and concrete structures free of detrimental elements will be refined to make earthwork materials. The climate impact of the demolition site and the waste generated within, or the carbon footprint of the site, will be calculated to determine the best methods for emission reduction and the environment."

Makasiiniranta, the area housing the Makasiini Terminal, will undergo changes when passenger traffic from the South Harbour is transferred to Katajanokka and the West Harbour following the port development programme. The City of Helsinki is planning to develop the site with an architecture and design museum, likewise a beachfront boulevard.

Photo: Port of Helsinki