Surrounded by residential buildings and government agencies, Kasarmitori Square has been a dormant quarter of downtown Helsinki in recent decades.
This revolutionary business building is now giving a fresh lease of life to the square and its surrounding environment.
Kasarmikatu 21 applies modern technology in a design that respects the heritage and surroundings of the site. The 1960s government building that used to occupy the site, was taken down to make room for this construction in natural stone.
This prefabricated brass façade building complex originally replaced an old stone building on the twin sites at Kasarmikatu 21 and Pohjoinen Makasiinikatu 9 that was demolished in the 1960s. It is now replaced by a high-quality office building designed to naturally match the surrounding prime properties on the square.
The general appearance of the façade is light and restrained, with predominant use of natural stone, timber and glass both on the outside and inside. In contrast with other stone buildings in the city center Kasarmikatu 21 has been designed for office accommodation, as evidenced by such factors as spaciousness and the easiness of remodeling.
Only tried and tested, durable, high-quality materials have been selected for the Kasarmikatu 21 office building. The pale limestone favored for high standard construction in Europe blends in effortlessly with the impressive glass surface of the façade.
This light stone appearance also continues into the interiors, where it is combined with high-quality, beautifully ageing oak timber. The stone material selected for the floors of the lift lobbies and other common areas is durable and creates a consistent and elegant milieu, while a large light well in the middle of the building provides natural illumination and an enhanced the feeling of an open space.
A high-class restaurant at street level caters to office staff and clients in the building during the working day.
The office building provides top quality, spacious working premises for a total of one thousand employees. A ground plan covering the entire site allows the premises to be reconfigured with great flexibility, and it can also be possible for several users to share floors where necessary.
Some mock-up premises have been designed for the building on the assumption of operations with just 10 square meters per person compared to a general average of about 25 square meters.
Premises can either be open, encompassing the entire floor with no partition walls, or divided into individual rooms providing flexibility for fit out with elegant structural solutions concealing elements of building technology even when the entire space is completely unobstructed.
The best available materials, construction methods and building technology have been selected for Kasarmikatu 21. With careful consideration of the environmental aspects it has obtained the highest platinum level LEED environmental rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
Issued by the US Green Building Council, LEED certification is based on an independent assessment of the environmental features of premises, a building, or a construction project. The building must meet certain standards for such aspects such as sustainable location, consumption of energy, water and materials throughout its life cycle. (Source: Green Building Council Finland)
