The Vuosaari Bioenergy Heating Plant signifies an effort to make a massive power and heating operation in Helsinki carbon neutral by 2030. And it stands as a striking example of beautiful infrastructure. The graceful buildings that constitute this addition to an existing power plant, run by the Helen Ltd utility, were designed by Kivinen Rusanen Architects. Through this decade-in-the-making project, the firm sought to craft an architectural ensemble with a “high visibility” in the landscape.

Operating at a 122 per cent efficiency rate, the 260 MW combustion plant produces almost a quarter of Helsinki’s district heat with rigorous energy-efficiency; it reduces the city’s carbon dioxide emissions by some 700,000 tonnes annually, according to the official press release. And while it provides district heat exclusively, it is technically feasible that the bioenergy plant can be adapted for combined electricity and heat production in the future.

It’s a robust example of green infrastructure in a bold form and with fine-grained architectural detail. The central boiler building is a staggered structure whose shape is directly derived from the machinery it houses, namely the boiler and an advanced heat recovery system. The other main component – the biofuel handling system – comprises a number of connected buildings for receiving, screening, and storing biomass fuel and their conveyors. The result is a complex that merges elegant architecture with massive machinery.

The architects took great care to arrange the buildings in such a way that allows for future expansions and to ensure that the energy plant can be a legible feature of the harbour landscape, viewable from surrounding parks and residential areas. The largest building is in the middle of the site, the smaller ones on the western edge in order to soften the industrial character of the complex where it meets the street and passersby, an effect enhanced by the landscaping along the embankment of Satamakaari Street.

The project’s finishes are uniform and impactful. Both the boiler building and the fuel-receiving structures are clad in neutral, almost-white double facades that incorporate glazed curtainwalls; large aluminium composite panels are used for the outer skin of the boiler building and corrugated sheet metal for the fuel-handling buildings. Both types of cladding (by Ruukki) are partially perforated at points to ventilate the entire facade structure; their lightweight appearance contrasts the architecture’s otherwise massive concrete elements.

The building envelopes also bring in ample natural light while protecting the interiors from direct glare – all while contributing to the safety of maintenance crews at work during power outages.

“Operationally, the Vuosaari Bioenergy Heating Plant meets one of the vital basic needs by providing the city with sustainable district heating,” the architects explain. “Its architecture aims to convey the value and importance of this activity.” Mission accomplished.