The story of Vuosaari

1930s

Steamboat traffic had started in the 1880s and had given rise to villa culture in Vuosaari. The land in Vuosaari was cultivated by, among others, Vuosaari Manor and Tryvik Farm. Industrial activity began when Saseka, a lightweight concrete and brick manufacturer, purchased Vuosaari Manor’s land in 1937.

1960s

Vuosaari, which belonged to the Rural Municipality of Helsinki, was annexed to the City of Helsinki in 1966. In the same year, the newly completed Vuosaari Bridge made it easier to travel. In Central Vuosaari, the Asuntosäästäjät Association worked hard to build a model suburb in the 1960s.

The Vuosaari landfill was founded in the 1960s. The City of Helsinki took municipal waste to the Vuosaari landfill in 1966–1988.

1970s

The area that now hosts the Vuosaari golf course used to be Porslahti, a sea bay thick with reeds. The leachate from the Vuosaari landfill flowed into it.

1980s

In the 1980s, Porslahti Bay was filled with surplus soil and industrial ash.

1990s

In 1974–1987, the Wärtsilä shipyard operated on the north-west shore of Kalkkisaarenselkä. After the closure of the shipyard, the Vuosaari power plant was built in the area (1990). An area next to the power plant was used for collecting industrial ash and polluted land raised in the dredging of Vuosaari Harbour.

Next to the Vuosaari landfill, a soil fill area was created in 1990 and became a high hill in ten years.

There were still old villas on the shore of Aurinkolahti and south of the Paulig factory in the 1990s.

The accessibility of Vuosaari was improved by the completion of the metro line in 1998. Columbus Shopping Centre (1996) was completed on the site of the former Saseka factory.

2000–

The urban Aurinkolahti area with blocks of flats has been built since 2000.

Vuosaari Harbour was built in 2003–2008. Topsoil left over from construction was also brought to the soil fill area from Vuosaari Harbour.