Hangon Itäsatama (Östra hamnen i Hangö)

English translation (from the Finnish)

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Description

Hanko Itäsatama is one of the most significant pleasure-craft harbours on the Gulf of Finland.

Itäsatama, with its piers and storehouses, was built at the end of the 19th century in the sheltered inlet of Itälahti (Östra Viken), around the time the town of Hanko was founded. The red harbour storehouses, which are timber-built with one exception, border the northern shore of Itäsatama. Of the 19 harbour storehouses originally located in the area, 14 have survived.

The light, curved-line functionalist pavilion of Hangö Segelförening rf, from the 1930s, is an important part of the harbour scene, and the timber-house blocks from the founding period of the town border the harbour area at its north-eastern corner. The former stone-polishing works of Oy Granit Ab on the western shore has been one of the most significant representatives of Finland's stone industry.

History

Before the town of Hanko was founded in 1874, a small fishing harbour stood on the shore of Itälahti. Itäsatama was built for the town's needs alongside the foreign harbour immediately after the town's founding. The plan that was carried out was drawn up in 1875 by railway engineer P.E. Böcker. The waterfront storehouses were placed in two straight rows, with a firebreak lane left between every third one. Rail tracks were laid along Makasiininkatu, the street between the rows. In 1879 the state had a quay built at the edge of Telakanniemi, present-day Tehtaanniemi (Varsudden, now Fabriksuu), according to Böcker's plan, and a boat harbour in 1880.

The Hangö Segelförening rf pavilion was completed in 1938. The pavilion was designed by architect Bertel Liljeqvist, and its construction was carried out partly with donations received from local businesses and private individuals.

The wooden-house blocks along Rantakatu were already included in the town's first town plan of 1874 and the town plan of 1878, and most of the residential buildings were built around the same time.

Stone was quarried from Kuningatarvuori (Drottningberget), west of the present harbour, at the end of the 18th century for the needs of the Hanko fortress, and later paving and building stone was taken from it, including for harbour equipment. The fortresses of Hanko from the late 18th and early 19th century, which were located on three islands off Hanko, were destroyed by blasting and finally demolished during the Crimean War. All of the roughly 60 buildings of that time were demolished on Kuningatarvuori.

Ab Granit, founded in 1886, became the leading company in its field in Finland. The company was established mainly to meet the growing demand for building materials in the capital. After the Second World War, Suomen Väriteollisuus Oy operated in the premises. The premises were renovated in 1980-1982 for use by the Ministry of Defence, which controlled the buildings until the end of 2002. The oldest, central part of the Itäsatama stone works was designed by the architectural office Grahn, Hedman & Wasastjerna. The building was extended with brick sections in 1903 and 1928.