Located on Helsinki’s iconic Aleksanterinkatu, the listed historic building from 1900 by Selim A.Lindqvist is uncovered by Futudesign to create a carefully designed transformation from a department store into a new hybrid retail and office building that bonds with the surrounding city.

Futudesign’s concept stays true to the original architecture of the building by Selim A. Lindqvist and blurs the boundaries of historic and contemporary architecture to create a stylistic symbiosis. The beautiful building was preserved through informed and context-sensitive interventions that align with its cultural and historical values.

At the time of its completion, the building was architecturally innovative, featuring no load-bearing walls. The main structural frame consisted of load-bearing facades, cast-iron columns, and beams, along with wooden slabs. The layout was designed to be flexible, allowing for various uses and functions with minimal modifications.

The renovation emphasized the use of durable, authentic materials such as oak, natural stone, copper, and brass, which age gracefully and can be repaired and maintained indefinitely.

In restoring or renovating original components, materials either identical or comparable to the originals were used to avoid damage to existing structures or previous repair layers. All components were meticulously documented and restored through conservation methods.

New architectural elements were designed to complement the historical ensemble while adopting contemporary solutions that harmonize with the original features. The façade of the 1980s extension in the courtyard was renewed, and a new glass roof was constructed at the original eave height.

The renovation prioritized resource efficiency by reusing materials from the building or sourcing them from the market, including surplus materials. Recycled materials included a metal grille ceiling from the former department store, reused bricks for masonry, green-patinated copper for the ventilation room façade, and green marble from the old courtyard elevator shaft used for cladding pillars and fixtures. Second hand oak parquet from other sites was installed on almost the entire sixth-floor flooring.

In addition to reused materials, new materials were selected with an emphasis on longevity, maintainability, removability, and reusability.