Family City Routes: Oil Tank 468

Do you want to get lost on new paths and discover something new? Look at Helsinki with fresh eyes? Turn in a different direction at an intersection? Family City Routes are exactly for that! The city routes take you to new neighborhoods, new places and help and inspire you to explore your home city or visit new corners as a tourist. Family City Routes are a new type of tourism concept in Helsinki neighborhoods developed by hospitality student Heidi Säynätkari as her thesis work. The four city routes created as a thesis work are now joined by new and different routes throughout the city.

Light Art Installation Oil Tank 468 at the Corner of Kruunuvuorenranta

A new Kruunuvuorenranta neighborhood is being built on the opposite bank of Katajanokka, just a few kilometers from Market Square as the crow flies. Serving as a landmark for the residential area being built on the site of the old oil port is a unique attraction – a light art installation created in an old oil storage tank, Oil Tank 468, which shines at the tip of Kruunuvuorenranta during the dark seasons. During the summer months, this white giant can also be spotted from passing cruise ships and from the Suomenlinna ferry. The area around the oil tank is also an outdoor recreation area open to all, and picnic tables can be found in front of it for outdoor meals. From the oil port shore, there are views to Suomenlinna, Katajanokka, Korkeasaari, and Kalasatama's tower buildings. In spring 2022, a small temporary K-grocery store also opened on the shore.

The light art installation of Oil Tank 468 was designed by lighting artist Tapio Rosenius from Lighting Design Collective and was completed in 2012, World Design Capital Helsinki year, to delight all Helsinkians and visitors to the city. The work has received praise and awards in international competitions and publications. It is also possible to rent the oil tank from the City of Helsinki for your own event.

The Silo Sounds: Ipnos – Birds' Whisper October 7–9, 2022  5–10 PM

In the fall, during September-October, a light art event is organized at the Oil Tank where the tank doors are open to the public. Around the light art installation, an immersive artwork has also been built in recent years during the open doors event. Inside the oil tank is a unique sound world and atmosphere that should be experienced during the open doors event.

In October 2022, visitors can experience a new kind of experience at the tank when The Silo Sounds: Ipnos – Birds' Whisper artwork is open to the public. The installation combining light and sound and defying the laws of physics will be open to the public for three days, Friday to Sunday, October 7–9, 2022, 5–10 PM.

The fall 2022 event concludes the three-part Silo Sounds trilogy and also celebrates the tenth anniversary of Oil Tank 468 and the new residential area of Kruunuvuorenranta.
More information on the City of Helsinki's website.

Based on past experience, Little Helsinki recommends at least ear protection for the youngest visitors. The weather in the area is also often significantly cooler than inland, so it's a good idea to dress warmly when heading there.

You should also visit the area around the oil tank during other seasons: you can gaze from the rocks toward central Helsinki and Suomenlinna's lighthouse beacon, spot passing boats and ships, watch swan families enjoying the shore area in spring, and if you're lucky, catch a glimpse of seals hunting on the shores. You can experience the tank's soundscape by shouting through its doorway and listening to the echo, even if you can't enter at that moment. From the oil tank shore you can also find the sound art installation Jälkiä (Traces), with other art on top of the rock. The weather at the oil tank is often windy, so this should be taken into account before your visit! 

Access to the oil tank is accessible and most of the route is paved and lit. From the nearest bus stop (stop name Haakoninlahdenkatu with buses 88 and 88B during rush hours), it is about 500 meters to the tank. Parking can be found about a hundred meters away on Saaristolaivastonkatu.
Update: In fall 2022, the Kruunusilta construction site will move the bus stops further away near the Stansvikintie intersection and close part of the pedestrian routes, so when arriving at and leaving the tank, use the Hopeakaivosentie stop found around the corner.

Also read Little Helsinki's earlier article from the area: Picnic at the top of Kruunuvuori!

The other light art installations in Kruunuvuorenranta, the city of light, can be found in the courtyards of residential complexes and you can find their locations using the map on the city's website. At least in October 2022, not all of the area's light art installations have yet been added to the city's map, so don't hesitate to peek into the newer courtyards during dark hours.