Topping out ceremony was held in Laakso
The topping out ceremony for the Laakso Joint Hospital project was held on Thursday, 15 January 2026 at Helsinki Ice Hall. The eight‑wing main building—set to become the most visible landmark of the hospital area—has now reached topping‑out height. The new main building is situated in a unique location in the immediate vicinity of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium and next to Central Park.
The Laakso Joint Hospital project is delivered by the Laakso Joint Hospital Alliance. The project will reform the entire Laakso Hospital area and provide functioning facilities for the treatment of psychiatric and somatic diseases for the City of Helsinki and HUS Helsinki University Hospital. The joint hospital project of the City of Helsinki and HUS is one of the largest in Finland.
Dignitaries attending the ceremony included Sanni Grahn‑Laasonen, Minister of Social Security; Maarit Vierunen, Deputy Mayor of the City of Helsinki; Risto Rautava, Chairman of the HUS Board; Sari Hildén, Chairman of the Board of Real Estate Limited Company Laakso Joint Hospital; Toni Väisänen, Principal Designer from the Laakson LATU consortium; Saku Sipola, CEO of construction partner SRV; and Markku Parviainen, representative of the employees of the Laakso construction site.
“We have reached one of the project’s key milestones as the new main building has attained topping‑out height. The underground infrastructure works in Laakso are on the final stretch and the HVAC installations are progressing well. Altogether 1,300 people currently work on the Laakso site daily. I wish to extend my warm thanks to everyone on the construction site and in the alliance for their work and strong commitment in advancing the project,” says Marko Heino, CEO of Real Estate Limited Company Laakso Joint Hospital.
Modern treatment facilities for the benefit of patients
The Laakso Hospital area is being reformed for the benefit of customers and patients. In addition to the new main building, another new hospital building will be built and two of the existing hospital buildings will be renovated.
In Laakso, modern facilities will serve people needing care for psychiatric and somatic illnesses. Whenever needed, experts from different specialties and professional groups can collaborate in patient care. Laakso will also become a significant teaching and research hospital.
Purpose‑built spaces support rehabilitation, recovery, and staff work. The new hospital will provide facilities for high‑quality care. The new main building will have nearly 800 hospital beds. Almost all patients will have their own rooms with en‑suite bathrooms, offering privacy and a calm environment for recovery. Treatment will be renewed with modern technologies.
“The new hospital has reached topping‑out height thanks to close and good collaboration between all parties. Every construction decision has been guided by data and best practices in psychiatric and somatic care. The design has drawn on the expertise of medical professionals and experts by experience. Together, we are building a modern care environment that combines functionality, safety and evidence‑based care for the benefit of patients,” says Matti Bergendahl, CEO of HUS.
“The Laakso Joint Hospital project is an excellent example of seamless cooperation between the City of Helsinki and HUS. Two of Finland’s most significant social and health care organisations are working together to ensure sufficient and high‑quality hospital services for a growing population. The Laakso Hospital area will become an integral part of the Meilahti hospital area. This enables, for example, shared on-call services and support functions that support operations for everyone operating in the area,” says Juha Jolkkonen, Director of the City of Helsinki’s Social Services, Health Care, and Rescue Services Division.
A vast underground world is taking shape in Laakso
While the eight‑wing main building will be the most visible part of the hospital area, an extensive underground world will remain out of sight. The facilities will include, on two underground levels, patient and ambulance pick-up and drop‑off, elevators to all the hospital wards in the new buildings, maintenance yard and other logistics facilities, and 550 parking spaces for customers and staff. This will minimise traffic on nearby residential streets even as hospital‑area traffic increases. The underground facilities will be taken into use at the same time as the northern part of the main building.
Main building to be taken into use in phases
Infrastructure works for the Laakso Joint Hospital project began in December 2022. The foundation stone of the main building was laid in October 2023, and installation of the prefabricated frame started in January 2024. Two years later, in December 2025, the structural frame of the main building was completed.
The new main building will be commissioned in phases. Commissioning of the northern part designed for psychiatric care will take place in May 2027. Construction of the southern part of the main building for somatic care will be completed by the end of 2027, with commissioning in spring 2028.
The Laakso Joint Hospital project is currently being built by 1,300 construction professionals. In addition to building the best possible hospital for patients, customers and employees, as well as for research and teaching, the project also has a huge employment impact. 2.4 million work hours have already been accumulated on the construction site, which means approximately 1,350 person years, and these figures are expected to approximately double during construction. The size of the project is also well illustrated by the fact that the construction volume on the site is equivalent to the construction of approximately two apartment buildings per month,” says Saku Sipola, CEO of the main contractor SRV.
For more information
Anna Tainio, Communications Manager, Real Estate Limited Company Laakso Joint Hospital, +358 40 841 3600, ext‑[email protected]
Marko Heino, CEO, Real Estate Limited Company Laakso Joint Hospital, +358 40 158 9551, ext‑[email protected]
Heli Pulkkinen, Communications Specialist, SRV, +358 50 411 0787, [email protected]