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The Finnish Centre for Pensions’ previous premises were in a 1970s office building in Itä-Pasila, in Helsinki. The premises were traditional offices and were in need of renovation. New premises were sought in Helsinki, close to good transport connections, with spaces that would support the organisation’s internal collaboration as well as interaction with customers and stakeholders. A new home for the office was found in the Kalasatama neighbourhood.
“An activity-based office makes new kinds of work and working methods possible for us, and we’ve invested in furnishing and technical solutions for shared workspaces, to name just one example. The new spaces will also shape our operating methods, and I believe that the spaces will support collaboration in line with our objectives.” – Virpi Rautiainen, Director of Procurement, Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK)
The Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK) had already begun development work on its workplace within the company a couple of years prior to this project, and the organisation had collected lots of initial data on the use rate of work spaces and conference areas. Different employee profiles and mobility had also been mapped.
Interior design and workplace design began in early 2020 with workshops attended by ETK staff, who participated in the design process. The workshops dealt with the functional needs of the space and encouraged people to consider how the workday would flow in the new work environment – would there be a suitable space for all of the situations you might encounter during the workday? Due to restrictions enforced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the rest of the participatory workshops and meetings were organised remotely.
“Participants gave good feedback on the workshops and both the physical and virtual workshops went smoothly.” Virpi Rautiainen, Director of Procurement, Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK)
As a location, Kalasatama is like a new Helsinki. The building is in a densely built area, surrounded by other buildings, with an urban and brand-new feel. The building’s material palette has become a little more refined – light, plastered walls, oak parquet flooring, and glass services. A large inner atrium and expansive window surfaces that provide views out onto the street let light pass through the building.
“The surfaces and shapes have a fantastic rhythm, with rectangular shapes featuring in various themes throughout the spaces. “We noticed this and took advantage of it as part of the interior design, too.” – Tia Hämäläinen, interior architect, Workspace Oy
A conference centre for ETK’s stakeholder collaboration was designed for the building’s second floor. The colour palette was kept neutral with muted tones. Strong contrast was avoided to provide a calm and timeless feel. The building’s large, black wood veneer doors and large window surfaces give a stylish touch to the overall appearance.
Work spaces are located on the third and fourth floors. Various work spaces for both interaction and for focus work were designed for the work areas.
“We wanted the atmosphere to be cosy and relaxed, with a fresh and joyful colour palette that can withstand the test of time. Workspace’s design team succeeded wonderfully in putting our ideas into practice in the end result.” – Virpi Rautiainen, Director of Procurement, Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK)
The building’s dignified colours, clear lines and surfaces act as a fantastic backdrop for the colour and provide space for a wide range of furniture. The furniture’s soft shapes provide contrast to the building’s sharp lines.
ETK also had art that it wanted to highlight as part of the interior design. Art expert Veikko Halmetoja selected suitable artwork for the new spaces.
Merja Keskinen’s colourful textile artwork “Elämän värikkäät langat 2020” (Life’s colourful threads 2020) was placed in the conference centre lobby. Together with the stone-like stools placed in front of the piece of art, it forms an interesting pairing with the cityscape that is visible from the lobby’s large window. The same colours feature in the art and the interior design.
In many ways, this project was different from normal space modification projects. The Finnish Centre for Pensions was moving to a wonderful new building in Kalasatama and it felt like a privilege to be able to design for such a building. We had worked on the project for 3 months when coronavirus and subsequent restrictions forced us to quickly find new ways of working. As the project was shifted to teleworking, good communication and close collaboration proved invaluable.
“The customer’s excellent project management made it possible for this project to progress even during emergency restrictions.” – Nina Kallén, Project Manager, Workspace Oy
