Vallila, an area rich with tradition, is located on the northern edge of the central city area, and together with Hermanni it forms a distinctive city district.

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At the beginning of the 20th century, Vallila was a working class district, and it remained an industrial area till the 1970's. After that time, industry had been mostly replaced by financial and information technology offices. At the beginning of the 21st century, they started building residences on the old industrial area.

A model example of the building ideals of the beginning of the 20th century

The wooden Vallila was built on rented plots in the 1910’s and 1920’s. It evolved to a district with wooden houses and green inner yards, which was a model example of the building ideals of its time.

However, standards of living were not very high: in addition to the owner of the building, there were often a dozen families who rented rooms, and they usually had many children as well. Usually each family only had one room between them.

In addition to skilled workers such as bricklayers, painters and carpenters, the inhabitants of the area included errand boys, bathers and outdoor workers. Because Vallila was near to a prison and the railway, many prison guards and railway workers got an apartment there.

An idyllic oasis at the central city area

The wooden Vallila is the last district with wooden houses in the central city area, and it was ordered to be torn down at the beginning of 1970’s. Thanks to the pressure given by the inhabitants, part of the district was saved and restored.

Today the district is an idyllic oasis in the central city area, a piece of history, and it is protected as a "district of historically valuable residential houses."

Mäkelänkatu and Sturenkatu form a contrast to wooden Vallila: only stone buildings were allowed to be built on these plots. Both streets were also very broad and boulevard-like, even though the traffic was light at the beginning of the century. In winter, there was a skiing track on Mäkelänkatu. The neoclassical style of the 1920’s and 1930’s is also clearly visible in the architecture.

Today, larger apartments, children and urban trends are emphasised in the new buildings of the area.

Important actors in the area have been: The Parish of the Paavali Church, school (Vallila primary school), library, Elanto theatre, Helsinki Prison, and Vallila allotment garden. The allotment garden is one of the oldest in Helsinki (founded in the early 1930’s). The library has been operating in the area since 1908. New actors in the area are Vallilan taiteilijatalo (Artist House of Vallila), which has working premises for over a hundred professional artists, and The Red Cross of Kallio-Käpylä. The district society of the area is the Hermanni-Vallila Society.


For more information, see Hackzell, Kaija & Toppari, Kirsti: Oihonnankadulta Kumpulantielle. Helsingin vanhoja kortteleita 4, Helsingin Sanomat

Images: 
The photograph archives of Helsinki City Museum, Signe Brander, Kari Hakli
Harri Sahavirta 2008