What Stora Enso’s New Head Office could look like

With many entrances and an open ground floor, the building activates the surrounding streets and newly accessible waterfront to create a public destination. The seafront is designed for social events white strengthening biodiversity, ecosystems services and stormwater resiliency.

A low scale towards the water respectfully blends in with the existing harbor, while the silhouette slightly curves to reveal a forest planted at the heart of the building, where Stora Enso’s office and the new hotel come together. The forest plays an active role to create a healthy environment in the building and embodies “Silmu” and the strong connection between Nordic people and their forests.

With a biophilic approach, a series of green spaces with strong identities based on the history of the harbour, the nature of the archipelago and renewable materials are integrating the building with the city of Helsinki.

Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but we send warm congratulations to Anttinen Oiva Architects who won the competition. Great work!