The Turku City Library made the architects of JKMM famous: it is a very popular building, loved by its “users”. Their library in Seinäjoki has also received many accolades as one of the best new buildings of this type in Europe, and the Finland pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai received an exhibition award for its architecture. So this workshop gradually became one of the largest "author" Finnish bureaus. She continues to win competitions thanks to her energy and the way she works in creative teams. Now JKMM has 60 employees, among other things, they are engaged in projects for a large hospital in Jyväskylä and the Amos Andersen Art Museum in Helsinki (he was commissioned directly by him).
Among the new buildings in Helsinki, one cannot fail to notice another work of these architects - the imposing headquarters of the OP financial group (total area - 130,000 m2). The concrete, steel and glass building has a capacity of 4,000 employees, including lawyers and chefs. JKMM won a closed competition for its project in 2011, and construction was completed in the fall of 2015.
The building is located in Vallila, a former working-class neighborhood, where charming neighborhoods of old wooden houses coexist with industrial structures from different times, now mostly adapted for new functions. The OP group already had buildings here, and the JKMM building included all of them - with the exception of the corner building, which it was decided to demolish and build a new structure in its place.
The new building faces the main transport artery of the district, Teollisuuskatu Street, with a very "sharp" facade, where concrete slabs with narrow windows are slightly inclined at different angles. There are vertical glazed slots between them, through which fragments of the interior can be seen. When viewed from afar, it gives the impression - including great photogenicity. However, it must be admitted that the building as a whole looks too large for its surroundings as an object that somehow "landed" in this part of the city.
Inside, the building is completely modern, fresh and expressive in a Scandinavian and Finnish way - and at the same time intimate and intimate. It opens to the street only through the main entrance. Such a huge city block without cafes and shops on the ground floor seems like an arrogant gesture, according to some locals and journalists. However, the lobby and gallery-like series of spaces displaying art from the OP's collection are open to the public. Also, the townspeople can sit there in beautiful black leather chairs, brought here from the old headquarters of the Pohjola insurance company (Pohjola joined the OP) and elegantly restored. You can also look into the main courtyard, which, however, is only accessible to employees.
To the right of the information desk in the lobby is the Helsinki OP Bank branch - a sleek and airy interior, with even a coffee machine for customers.
Those who head to the part of the building closed to the public, after the turnstiles, can either use the elevator or solemnly climb the beautiful granite steps. There is an "interior urban landscape" here - the facades of old office buildings that are part of the new complex, so it seems that you are on the street. The main "piazza" is covered by a spectacular steel and glass ceiling. The atmosphere is not at all pompous, thanks in part to the light orange chairs placed there. Everywhere you can see or feel the work of the interior designers from JKMM and guest artists.
Contemporary art from the OP's collection has been deliberately placed on the second floor of the "street"; furniture consists partly of "classic" models of modernism, partly of new, but quite capable of becoming classics. One of the restaurants has a wooden "artistic ceiling" that includes a lighting system. Its designer is Petri Vainio, famous for his lamps and lighting fixtures.
There are several restaurants and cafes on the second floor, most of which face the inner “street” that surrounds the core of the building. They are simply delightfully furnished in a cool, urban style. The technical systems are hidden from above behind folded and perforated steel panels. An artistic approach to the design was suggested by young architects and students who were part of the project team. "Classic" furniture models are combined with accents of fresh colors, but both are used in moderation. At the same time, all the spaces are open and accessible, even the white and gold VIP restaurant for special events was not hidden behind doors or curtains.
The offices located on the upper floors combine open plan spaces with meeting rooms and small rooms for quiet work. Only the general director of the OP group and his secretary received their own offices, the rest of the employees are housed in easily transformable open spaces, and sometimes they are allowed to work from home. The mentioned quiet working rooms face the courtyards, while the free plan rooms face the street facades. They overlook old wooden houses, a busy street and a park popular with locals and hipsters. The view of the building from a distance is especially good, when the street is not visible behind the landscape design from the park side.
When I was touring the building with JKMM partner Asmo Jaaksi in charge of this project, one of the OP's lawyers shared her impressions of the building. Before moving here, she had her own office, which she has now lost, but she loves the way the new building functions, and if she needs to work alone and in silence, she always has several options how to find the right space for this.
To summarize, the OP headquarters is a surprisingly spectacular, but not pretentious corporate building of high aesthetic quality, even with a taste of freshness and playfulness. There is a fitness center for employees, and for those who come to work by bike, there are changing rooms and showers. In restaurants, you can buy take-out food to dine at home. You can even admit that you are a little jealous of the OP team.
Two large pieces of granite, right with moss growing on them, were delivered to Helsinki and placed at the main entrance to the building. They symbolize the solid Finnishness of this bank and financial company, wholly owned and run by Finns. However, it must be admitted that in the urban landscape this corporate headquarters is a fairly large lump.
