The foundation stone for the Port of Turku’s new joint terminal has been laid
The foundation stone for the Port of Turku’s new joint terminal was laid at a celebratory event on Wednesday, 3 September 2025. The event brought together the key co-operative partners, designers, builders and city representatives of the Ferry Terminal Turku project to mark this significant milestone.
Construction on the terminal began in January 2025 and is estimated to take about two years.
The new joint terminal will serve all passenger ships docking regularly in Turku. The terminal will replace the existing terminals of Viking Line and Tallink Silja, and offer modern, safe and comfortable facilities for passengers. The new terminal building enables the provision of flexible service for large numbers of passengers during a ship’s stay in port: the terminal building can hold up to 4,000 passengers at the same time.
The field and traffic arrangements being implemented in connection with the joint terminal will ensure functional and safe passenger and cargo traffic in to and out of visiting passenger ships.
The new terminal will provide even better services to travelers and improve traffic efficiency in the port.
Functional, effective, strong and delicate
The terminal was designed by PES-Architects Ltd, whose ORIGAMI plan won the international architectural competition organised by the Port of Turku. The design aimed at combining efficiency, functionality and extraordinary details in a way that would make it simultaneously strong and delicate.
The terminal’s architecture is based on inclined triangular surfaces, and its glass and aluminium facades are highly diverse. The objective for the building is to receive three stars according to the environmental classification of Rakennustieto, which indicates a good level of environmental quality.
The inclined walls of the terminal showcase building expertise
The terminal is being built by Skanska Talonrakennus Oy. The building will be located in the current passenger harbour area and the total area of the three-storey building will be more than 10,000 gross square metres.
For Skanska, the project is not only a significant construction project, but also an impressive demonstration of the company’s technical competence. The architecturally demanding terminal with its inclined walls and large glass surfaces calls for exceptional accuracy and collaboration between different actors.
Space for the expansion of the City of Turku
The motivation for the Ferry Terminal Turku project has been the need to serve Turku as it grows and develops. The City wants to create a lively seaside area around Turku Castle with plenty of services to benefit and delight tourists and residents alike.
The new joint terminal will serve as the gateway to this new district that combines history, modern architecture and the principles of sustainable development.
The completion of the terminal will also facilitate the efficient land use of the port area and the construction of new residential and commercial premises, which will support the city’s growth goals far into the future.
The foundation stone laying ceremony symbolizes the concrete start of the construction phase. During the event, a time capsule was laid which contained, for example, the charter read out at the event, the day’s newspapers, building plans, coins used in Finland, and the speech given by the Mayor at the event. The time capsule was embedded in a concrete slab that will remain part of the building foundation.
When completed in early 2027, the terminal will be an important part of the tourism and traffic infrastructure of the City of Turku and a pioneer in sustainable urban development. The City of Turku will implement new street arrangements around the joint terminal, with construction beginning in September.
Street construction projects in the same area
A project to support the area around the passenger port is being implemented by the City to create the necessary conditions for the development of the Port of Turku and its increasing traffic volumes. New, more convenient routes will be built to facilitate port traffic between 2026 and 2028.
The traffic impacts of the first project will begin next week (week 37), when Linnankatu street will be closed off at Turku Castle and traffic will be guided to a designated detour route. The construction work will impact Linnankatu street until the summer of 2026.
An information event on the street project will be held for residents at Forum Marinum on Thursday, 25 September at 5 p.m.