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What would it feel like to walk along a bustling promenade, shop at boutique stores, and dine on beautifully presented and delicious seafood with close friends? What about having such a great time with friends that belly laughs ring through the corridors? Imagine the misty maritime landscape of the archipelago islands; how would it feel, smell, and taste? And have you tried the ball pit? Have you met Harry the Seal? It is around these themes that we built new operating premises for Tallink Silja on Itämerenkatu street in Ruoholahti, Helsinki.
A shared experience
Four important perspectives were highlighted as themes for the new workplace: experience, the power of community, the sea and history, and responsibility. These themes made a strong appearance at a participatory workshop where we considered the company’s values and the staff’s own experience of the brand.
The diversity of future work and prerequisites for new operating methods were examined in another workshop which strengthened the hybrid work perspective. A shared space is a shared experience. That means that the entire office is for everyone to use.
A dive into the atmosphere at the new workplace
When you step inside Tallink Silja’s new workplace, you step onto a bustling promenade. Its spatial solutions offer visitors encounters that enable social interaction in particular. Random and ad hoc meetings, conference and project spaces, and smaller spaces to withdraw to all bring agility and adaptability to the space. You can also enjoy a drink at the “lighthouse” bar or perform up on stage; smaller groups can head to the boathouse, but perhaps you’d prefer to take it easy in a deckchair in the break room.
A sense of belonging and community was strengthened with a “praise wall”, which features customers’ experiences on board the ships and the team’s successes. The strength of the Tallink community was highlighted to us designers during the early phase of the pandemic, when helping and supporting others were concrete actions and present in work methods. Staff gave us words like pride, innovative, renewable, and agile, and these were all highlighted in the space’s solutions. The spaces promote joy and spending time with loved ones, and still support a sense of belonging.
Sea, the archipelago, and destination ports add peace and harmony to working areas. The colour choices are more serene than on the promenade, and add calm to the space. Tones drawn from natural materials, such as wood and wool, the rippling Baltic waves, and grey rocks highlight the harmony in the space.
Miniature models of ships are nestled behind glass in a history wall, accompanied by a brief account of the company’s history. Opposite is the management’s conference room, where the historic atmosphere is reflected in the grandfather clock and wall panelling. Sustainability and carbon neutrality are considered in many surface materials and are particularly emphasised in the company’s operating methods. Conservation work and certified environmental work take care of our unique Baltic sea.
The new premises were taken into use in August 2021. They feature an atmosphere of experience, joy, surprise, cleanliness, quality, safety, and determination. The new workplace means it’s now just as enjoyable to spend time on land as it is at sea.
Photographs: Esa Kapila
