KAAPELI’s role is to make space for art and culture in Helsinki.
Since 1992 we have owned the Cable Factory cultural centre in Helsinki’s Ruoholahti district. Since 2008 we have owned the old energy generation plant in Suvilahti, and since the start of 2020 we have owned N10, located at Nilsiänkatu 10 in Vallila, which is the former head office and production plant of the Orion pharmaceutical company. In 2021 Dance House Helsinki was completed next to the Cable Factory.
In total we manage almost 100,000 square metres at three different sites around Helsinki. Our company additionally owns the subsidiary Kaapeli Media Centre Ltd, which provides services for our tenants.
Our company’s objective is to develop our premises on a long-term, sustainable basis. Our objective is to offer functional and inspiring spaces to meet the needs of artistic and cultural practitioners and the creative industry as well as to facilitate our tenants’ activities.
Our aim is to find tenants who help the overall entity to evolve and also support each other’s activities.
We want to promote a diverse cultural offering in Helsinki, which is why our rental tariffs are staggered: for example artist studio tenants only pay around 40 % of the rent of commercial operators.
All of the company’s proceeds are re-invested in developing and maintaining the premises, with no distribution of dividend. Our company exists on its rental income with no external assistance. Our group turnover in 2021 was around EUR 7 million.
Environmental responsibility is a fundamental part of our activities, and we constantly strive to reduce our environmental load. We aim to reduce the climate and environmental impacts of our events and buildings. We are constantly developing our waste management and reducing our consumption of water, electricity and heat. We also offset the aviation emissions of all our company travel. We are part of the EcoCompass environmental management system.
Our mission
In our strategy we have defined the company’s mission as making space for art and culture in Helsinki.
We investigate opportunities for repurposing industrial premises for culture and we make sure that our current premises are operating as diversely as possible as places for creating, practising and encountering art and culture for Helsinki residents.
Our vision
Our company’s vision is to be a constantly evolving enabler of culture and art. We promote the activities of artists, cultural organisations and creative industry in the former industrial buildings we run. We update our own operating models with an open mind in response to the needs of the time.
Our brand promise
True to our brand promise, we at KAAPELI, together with our tenants, make life better in Helsinki through culture.
Our priority areas for the strategy period
The priority areas in our company’s strategy period 2022-2025 are divided into six entities:
- Development of premises - KAAPELI develops its premises based on the needs of its tenants and visitors.
- Rental activities and services - KAAPELI provides spaces that serve cultural tenants on a flexible, customer-focused and people-driven basis.
- Visitor services - KAAPELI entices and encourages enjoyment.
- Organisation, support activities and working methods - KAAPELI is a good workplace and an organisation run with modern methods.
- Renewal, events, experiments and international collaboration - KAAPELI renews boldly and experiments with its national and international network.
- Ecological, social and financial responsibility – for us responsibility is a heartfelt concern and a way of operating.
