Helsinki

Aurinkokallio Daycare Centre is located in Kannelmäki, Helsinki, replacing the old daycare building from the 1970s. The three-storey building is carefully placed on the sloping plot, as an urban infill between existing apartment buildings and a verdant forest park. The yard of the daycare was designed to be as natural as possible. The aim was to preserve the terrain and trees in the northern part of the plot, where the site borders protected fortification structures.  Niclas Mäkelä The sloping roof and low eaves create pleasant natural light conditions for the playground. Light brickwork, enlivened by different types of stacking techniques, complements the wood-clad facades. The natural colour palette of the fa&cc... More

Postiljooni Daycare Centre is located in the new Postipuisto residential district, developed on the site of a former logistics terminal and railway depot area. The compact daycare building occupies a prominent location at the intersection of Kollikatu and Lavakatu, where the urban block structure meets the rugged rocky terrain. The design approach has been to align the building with the surrounding streets while preserving the area’s highest natural feature—Kollikallio—as an integral part of the children’s playground. Niclas Mäkelä Niclas Mäkelä The building is terraced into the hillside. The common areas are positioned in the stone-clad base level, enlivening the streetscape with expan... More

In the quiet of Helsinki’s harbor, where international ferries arrive from afar, and the Old Town stands as a silent witness of history, a new conception of architecture takes shape – one that does not merely construct spaces, but weaves thoughts, memories, and meanings. The TCA team pursued this vision not with the haste of technology or the rush of the market, but with a meditative patience, emerging only from observing nature itself. Caption One might say that Finland’s natural heritage – the largest forested area in the world – serves not merely as inspiration, but as an intellectual connection between human and landscape. The tree, the massive timber, the stillness of nature, transform into a built... More

Helsinki’s former industrial Katajanokka waterfront is home to Katajanokan Laituri, a solid wood office and hotel building, and the largest mass timber construction in Finland to date. Designed by Helsinki-based architectural studio Anttinen Oiva Architects, the 23,000-square-metre landmark building is certified LEED Platinum. The completion of Katajanokan Laituri contributes to Helsinki’s goal of becoming a carbon-neutral city by 2030. Kalle Kouhia Located in the vicinity of Helsinki ́s famed Market Square, Katajanokan Laituri is the first new building to be built on the Katajanokka waterfront, an area being reimagined as a mixed-use neighbourhood. It is the head office of Stora Enso, a Finnish forestry company and provid... More

A four-story museum building is a combination of large, inverse, intersecting cylindrical shapes, forming a singular object-type structure reminiscent of sea waves frozen in motion. The building balances structural integrity, functionality, aesthetics, and cost to arrive at a design that meets all the necessary criteria, following the best traditions of finished architecture. It is made of high-performance insulation composite stainless-steel panelling with low environmental impact. The building's opaque envelope has significant thermal mass, which helps absorb, store, and release heat—important passive elements in the building's thermal management. The panels are made of a Glulam "basket" double grid-shell fixed to a steel tube netw... More

“The Old Clinic,” completed in 1833 and 1838 and designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, is one of the University of Helsinki’s oldest campus buildings. In 2019, the Faculty of Social Sciences’ workspace development project came to a completion with interior design as its final phase. The project was conducted in close collaboration with the university’s construction and maintenance department and the end users. Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski Visitors to the Unionkatu 37 building are first greeted by a bright living room-style library where employees and students can gather for coffee and conversations. The updated workspaces vary in size from personal of... More

On the upper floor of Hakaniemi Market Hall, the evening sun pours through the tall windows of a stately, 6-meter-tall restaurant space. Kirsikka, the market hall’s first-ever restaurant to serve customers even outside regular opening hours, soaks in soft, warm light. Located in what used to be the hall’s staff room, Kirsikka protrudes history and a one-of-a-kind market hall atmosphere. Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski Respecting the historically and culturally significant building was at the core of the design process. The carefully planned details are a playful ode to the original market hall aesthetic; orange-striped banquette benches echo the traditional market stalls just a stone&rsqu... More

Founded in 2000 by President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, the CMI is one of the world’s leading peace mediators. The CMI is staffed by over 100 international experts. We are deeply honored to have been able to renovate CMI’s Helsinki headquarters, which is doing such important work. The gentle transformation of the space was driven by a desire to bring people together to work in a space that feels good to be in. Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski Riikka Kantinkoski If you want to invest in peace, you can do so by donating to the CMI Peace Fund. The purpose of the Peace Fund is to secure the life’s work and legacy of President Martti Ahtisaari in peace mediation and to support the work o... More

The lobby of Paasitorni, built in the 1920s, received the attention it needed thanks to a redesign of the interior. The aim was to support the versatile meeting and event space and envigorate the stunning lobby. We incorporated new colors to harmonize with the original interior. The result adds a touch of contrast in the form of 21st-century design. We selected lightweight, movable and adjustable furniture to enable the desired flexibility of the space. The Siltasaari Hall was also renovated to serve as a space for multiple uses, from lectures to cocktail parties. Kimmo Virtanen Kimmo Virtanen Kimmo Virtanen Kimmo Virtanen Kimmo Virtanen Tarmo, located on the building’s bottom floor, was transformed into a me... More

Hotel Helsinki, a neoclassical gem designed by architect Pauli E. Blomstedt, has been a cornerstone of Helsinki’s buzzing city scene since its construction in 1930. The eight-story grand hotel, complete with showy entrance halls, dining rooms, and lounges, was the first of its kind in Finland. In the early 1970s, the building became renowned as the home of the legendary Helsinki Club. The beloved “Hesari” served in the hotel building for a noteworthy 40 years.  Riikka Kantinkoski After various changes over the years, it was time for the hotel to receive a facelift worthy of its history, aesthetics, and status as a legend among hotels. Design Office KOKO3 took on the challenge of transforming the hotel back to it... More

House J is situated on top of a high hill, on the edge of a single-family housing area. The architectural concept is based on the site: the building has a closed rear towards the North and East where the neighboring houses are, and it opens to the South and West, towards a natural forest. The house curves around an old pine tree, forming a lap with a sunny and sheltered courtyard. The free form and lush garden create a contrast to the rectangular building. Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy The height of the building is carefully fitted to the elevation of the adjacent buildings. The floors are not situated on top of each other. The cantilevered first floor creates a canopy for the entrance on the ground floor, whereas t... More

As did many, we also participated in the Guggenheim Helsinki competition. Our proposal featured ideas to improve the urban landscape on and surrounding the plot as well as a flowing wooden building structure.  More

Multiuse residential and business district Kalasatama in Helsinki consists of several towers on the waterfront, and is one of the largest development projects in Helsinki.Geotub  is used for the construction of an underground car park, carved into the rock. It will be situated at 30 meters below the road surface and will be integrated to Kalasatama subway station line.Our formwork for round columns Geotub was used in building large underground car-park, a 30m high underground construction.Geotub was used because of:- Quick and easy installation,- Modularity and ease of use,- Reusability.LEARN MOREKalasatama Redi Towers in Helsinki, FinlandGeotub for the building of the underground car park in the new Kalasatama district in Fi... More