Property company Metsätapiola

This development is part of a general upgrading by Metsä Group of the property they own in south tapiola. some of the old seventies-built concrete blocks have been demolished, while others have been renovated. A new office block has been built and a group of new apartment buildings is under construction.

The design of the new office block is based on the Tapiola tradition, which involves interaction between architecture and nature. One of the more abstract aims is to symbolise birch forest.

The elevation of the new offices is articulated in the vertical mode at varying angles to provide a variety of internal spaces and views out to sea. There is also a strong emphasis on the use of daylight in energy-saving.

Work is mainly done in large open spaces, but the changing needs of the working community are met by conference rooms and team spaces plus a number of permanent small offices and meeting areas. Wood is a key material in work spaces and in furniture.

The new office building is linked to the old by a single-storey restaurant cum multi-purpose space. The space has been made as flexible to use as possible by employing an open, column-free structure.

The primary supports are like trestles, with columns in laminated veneer lumber and double laminated timber beams. Between the beams is a series of roof-lights, while the solid parts of the roof are made of insulated wooden cassettes. These were brought to the site as finished elements which were speedily fixed, even though installation and finishing were tricky.

The expressive interior structures were developed through study and cost analysis of many alternatives with the aid of visual, structural and analogical models. There was particularly close and stimulating cooperation between the architect and the structural engineer employed by the manufacturer of the wooden elements.