Helsinki renovates historic Aino Acktén villa, sells dozens of other buildings

The city of Helsinki has spent roughly two million euros renovating the Aino Acktén villa in the Tullisaari mansion park in Laajasalo, despite an overall city policy of selling off old buildings that generate only costs, Yle reports.

The villa, vacant for about 15 years after water and moisture damage, underwent a roughly two-year renovation preceded by a year of planning. A café now operates on weekends, and traditional chamber music concerts are planned for the summer.

At the same time, Helsinki has been actively selling properties it no longer needs. Last year alone the city sold 20 properties containing a total of 50 buildings. Among the most notable sales in the 2020s are restaurant Kaisaniemi, Tervasaari’s aitta, Meilahti manor, and the Kulosaari and Nordsjö manors. Currently for sale are Sonck’s house in Jätkäsaari, Villa Angelica in Meilahti, and buildings of the Pukinmäki manor.

Three factors explain why the Aino Acktén villa was not sold but renovated, said Antti Halm, head of the special premises unit at Helsinki’s urban environment division. First, citizen will: a 2019 condition survey and renovation plan gathered more than 2,700 votes in the participatory budgeting process Oma Stadi. Second, officials and decision-makers also supported the project after a two-stage internal and political consultation. Third, the villa sits in the middle of the valuable Tullisaari mansion park, making sale to an outsider challenging because access routes cross the park.

Halm said the city’s property strategy allows exceptions for “other strategic reasons,” which applies in this case. While a solution to access could have been found, the city prioritised the strategy and prevailing public will, he added.

The villa, built in 1877 and designed by architect Theodor Decker, was originally part of the Tullisaari estate owned by councillor Henrik Borgström. Opera star Aino Ackté and her husband Heikki Renvall bought it in 1906. Although her children sold the property to Helsinki in 1929, Ackté used it until her death in 1944. The building saw limited use until the mid-1980s, was renovated for music and culture in the late 1980s, and then sat empty from 2010 due to water damage and moisture-related issues. The comprehensive renovation took place from 2023 to 2026.