Helsinki builds crisis-resistant hospital with underground facilities

Helsinki is constructing a crisis-resistant hospital complex with extensive underground facilities, drawing international attention, reports Yle.

The Laakso hospital area in Helsinki is being redeveloped by the city and the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS), with a significant portion of operations located below ground. The underground complex, comparable in size to 4–5 central libraries, includes 550 parking spaces, maintenance areas, and a civil defense shelter.

Underground parking will serve as a civil defense shelter during crises, while functioning as a parking garage in peacetime. The design allows for a compact above-ground hospital structure, with logistics and support functions moved underground. Ambulance access and direct elevator connections to all hospital departments are integrated into the design.

The over €1 billion project is being executed under an alliance model, with SRV as the main contractor. Excavation work involved removing rock loads every 2–5 minutes, presenting logistical challenges in coordinating with urban traffic.

International media, including a Wall Street Journal reporter and a civil defense expert from Mexico, have visited the site. The project has also faced setbacks, including a 2024 explosion that injured two workers and a January 2025 collapse during concrete pouring. Authorities have since filed charges against the site manager responsible for the blasting work.

The hospital will be completed in phases starting in 2027, eventually connecting to HUS’s Meilahti campus via a new tunnel.