{"id":8348,"date":"2022-08-23T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T20:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.malmiairport.fi\/?p=8348"},"modified":"2022-09-02T16:01:24","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T13:01:24","slug":"excavation-work-at-helsinki-malmi-airport-must-be-stopped-immediately","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.malmiairport.fi\/en\/excavation-work-at-helsinki-malmi-airport-must-be-stopped-immediately\/","title":{"rendered":"Excavation work at Helsinki-Malmi Airport must be stopped immediately"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Friends of Malmi Airport Association (FoMA) has filed a protection proposal of the Helsinki-Malmi Airport area under the Building Heritage Act on October 15, 2015.\u00a0A ban on endangerment has been imposed on the area while the protection proposal is being processed.\u00a0The protection proposal is currently being processed by the Supreme Administrative Court and does not have the force of law.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City of Helsinki has initiated and is about to initiate construction work in the area that violates the ban on endangerment and threatens to decide the values \u200b\u200bof the protection proposal in advance.\u00a0The city has started various earthworks, land stabilization measures and especially gas pipeline groundwork and construction in the area without proper permission, which, if implemented, will irreversibly damage the structures within the scope of the protection proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the author of the protection proposal, the Friends of Malmi Airport Association insists that the work that destroys the structures must be stopped immediately<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The original, protected concrete pavement slabs have in the past been covered by asphalt due to land subsidence. This does not cancel their historical value or protected status.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Heritage Finland’s statement calls for protection<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its statement to the Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY), the State agency of antiquities Heritage Finland has stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is almost unique about Malmi Airport is that the scale of the airport as well as\u00a0<\/em>the central buildings and structures<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0have been preserved in their original appearance even in their original use.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airfield\u00a0<\/em>with its foundation<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0works and the hangar with its structures have been\u00a0<\/em>exceptionally demanding in terms of construction technology and are a sample of high-level know-how<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0The state of preservation of the airfield as a whole\u00a0<\/em>and its parts<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is exceptionally good.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heritage Finland clearly refers to the airport’s structures, which include both above-ground and underground structures, including the drainage system of the runway area, which is among the first of its kind in the Nordic region and an essential functional part of the historic, exceptionally authentically preserved airport complex.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the original concrete slabs of the airport’s apron and runways must undeniably be interpreted in this context above-ground structures, because the elevations on top of them were only made due to the effects of land subsidence in order to guarantee flight safety.\u00a0The concrete slabs have already earlier been admitted to be covered by the ban on endangerment, and earlier damage caused to them has been repaired.\u00a0The tiles now exposed fall within the scope of the ban on endangerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only deviations and relaxations from protection allowed by Heritage Finland are related to the changes required for the continuation of aviation:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regulations must allow for necessary consideration for the usability and development of the airport, including the actual field area, enabling the continuation of aviation without jeopardizing the protected whole.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The <\/em>open landscape of the airport area must be kept undeveloped.\u00a0The runways, taxiways and apron must also be preserved.\u00a0Changes in technical systems and pavement materials based on aviation use and airfield safety are possible.<\/em>\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the leading expert agency for cultural heritage, Heritage Finland’s statement must be interpreted strictly.\u00a0The ELY Centre has taken the unjustified liberty of interpreting the statement of Heritage Finland so broadly that conservation values \u200b\u200bare clearly endangered.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ELY Centre must also take into account the relevant statement of Heritage Finland to the Ministry of the Environment issued on 1 November 2018 \u2013 MV\/31\/05.01.01\/2018 1 (2):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the criteria of Section 3 of the Building Heritage Act, Heritage Finland has proposed that the actual protection should be allocated to the\u00a0<\/em>buildings, structures and built-up area<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of \u200b\u200bthe whole complex planned as an airport, and has identified the characteristic features to be protected.\u00a0<\/em>The protection of the physical environment<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0thus also protects the preconditions of its use.\u00a0Even after changes in use, the field could be returned to aviation use if the <\/em>Built Cultural Environment of National Significance is preserved as a whole.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An essential part of the foundation works mentioned by Heritage Finland are the structures of the 40-km-long drainage system in the area of \u200b\u200bthe airport.\u00a0They are essential for the management of the region’s abundant runoff and groundwater.\u00a0The drainage system is clearly a part of Heritage Finland’s statement mentioning “exceptionally demanding in terms of construction technology and an example of high-level know-how.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Friends of Malmi Airport Association demands the ELY Center to stop the earthworks that are going on at Helsinki-Malmi Airport immediately<\/strong>\u00a0and at least until the protection issue is legally resolved.\u00a0The measures announced by the city will destroy the values \u200b\u200bthat are the object of protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Appendix: request for injunction (in Finnish)<\/p>\n\n\n\n