Designed by JKMM Architects, OP Headquarters in Helsinki, The construction of new builds to replace the buildings along Teollisuuskatu, as well as the northern corner house on the Päijänteentie side, constitutes the most extensive change to the cityscape around the quarter. As these new buildings closely match their predecessors in height, the scale of the quarter has remained unchanged. The quarter will be completed in 2017 when new buildings are set to rise on the eastern corner of Teollisuuskatu.The interaction between the inside and outside of the large quarter was at the heart of the architectural concept: The inside should be visible to outside observers, thus creating vistas of openness and transparency. In turn, those inside require visual contact with the outside world. This vision was brought to life through tall openings designed between the building materials, which punctuate the long façades and open up a view of the inside.The design process has aimed to eschew rectangular designs in favor of a strong and memorable visual identity: the sculptural, massive quality of the new buildings recalls the imposing solidity of erratic boulders. The presence of the latter as an architectonic and design theme carries connotations of durability, permanence, and Finnishness.
The ?gallery?, a circular indoor path under a glazed roof, serves as the quarter?s hub, connecting various functional units and providing a meeting space. When considered vertically, three discrete f...