My hometown Helsinki was founded in 1550 on the mouth of Vantaa River. Place is known as Vanhakaupunki, meaning old town. City begun to grow around this area.

Industrialization meant that the power of rapids were needed, first for mills, later for electicity. Dam that exists today is built in 1876 and there is also power plant from that era. It’s owned by local energy production company Helen and it’s the oldest working power plant in Helsinki, still producing 0,2 MW.

20th. century brought new way of transportation, flying. First commercial flights in Finland were operated by float planes, so the first airports were actually air harbors. 1930’s brought air traffic on ground. Helsinki-Malmi Airport located in Tattarisuo is the first land airport of Helsinki.

It was opened in 1938. Round terminal building is a masterpiece of functionalist architecture, designed by Dag Englund and Vera Rosendahl. There were few reasons why commercial aviation left Malmi as soon as 1952 for the new Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Malmi was left for general aviation use, which meant that there wasn’t need to expand it. Malmi Airport looks today very much the same as it was before years of WW2.

The future of these pieces of local history is very uncertain. During last few years voices demanding demolishing of these environments have risen.

In case of dam driving forces have been amateur fishermen who want to free the rapid so that salmons, trouts and other fish could climb up to the river. Malmi Airport is threatened by growth of the City of Helsinki, which wants to build a new suburb on the site.

I understand these demands. Fish are nice and people need apartments. But there are dozens of other rivers in this country and dozens of square kilometres of unbuilt land in this city. Why should these unique pieces of cultural history be demolished?

And even more philosophically – what kind of citizens and townsmen we are if we are destroying living pieces of our own roots? How thin is our civilization if we demolish the layers of our city?

Dam and airport can be destroyed once, never can they be brought back.

Photos: Rapid of Vanhakaupunki | Malmi Airport