Helsinki Design Week’s Main Venue is Paasivuorenkatu 3
The largest Design and Architecture festival in the Nordic countries, Helsinki Design Week (6–15 September, 2024), presents the city from new perspectives every year. In September this year, eyes will be on the historic bank building, Paasivuorenkatu 3 in Hakaniemi.
Helsinki Design Week’s main partner, real estate owner Antilooppi, is committed to developing entire urban areas; the city residents and urban-cultural development hold a solid position in the core of its operations in addition to its clients and those working in the offices it offers. Sustainability and engagement in city life are key in Antilooppi’s value system, and the company only invests in existing buildings. Antilooppi continuously surveys, identifies and interprets its clients’ needs and places human beings in the centre of its strategy to engage in a dialogue and understand the needs of both companies and individuals while the world of work is reforming.
“We see strong potential in the Hakaniemi area, which is going through a big change, because it is already interesting to people. More and more companies are finding themselves in Hakaniemi thanks to good services and transport connections. Antilooppi strives to be a significant and influential player in the areas where it is present. Our strategy includes long-termism, and we are also strongly committed to the development of the Hakaniemi region. Paasivuorenkatu 3 provides a unique setting for Helsinki Design Week in the center of a renewed Hakaniemi,” describes Tuomas Sahi, CEO of Antilooppi.
The common goal of Helsinki Design Week and Antilooppi is to get to know the identity of the Hakaniemi area and develop it together with both design professionals and all city residents.
Antilooppi’s marketing and communications manager Anniina Korteniemi praises last year’s cooperation with Helsinki Design Week as a success and looks forward to the future.
“We share the same values with Helsinki Design Week and want to act as an enabler of encounters, which strongly guides the development of real estate and spaces at Antilooppi. Through this cooperation, we welcome the festival audience to get to know the versatile offerings of the Hakaniemi area and the historical bank property and to enjoy the experiential design and urban culture. It’s wonderful to be involved in bringing citizens together again,” Korteniemi enthuses.
“Events can change the world if the encounters, thoughts and phenomena that arise from them become something permanent. With almost 20 years of experience, we know that a carefully executed cultural event can leave a strong memory and create its own spirit in the chosen place – a building or a block of flats. It’s great to continue working with Antilooppi and highlight different regional profiles,” says Kari Korkman, founder and owner of Helsinki Design Week.
Architects Kosti Kuronen and Rauno Leppänen designed Paasivuorenkatu 3, representing office architecture of the 1980s, which complements the architecture of the area. The interesting, developing area has a diverse building stock with temporal stratification. Next to it are the iconic Paasitorni, completed in 1908 as Helsinki’s workers’ housing, the “Elanto house” completed in 1914, now called Siltasaari 10. Around the corner is Ympyrätalo, completed in 1968, designed by Kaija and Heikki Siren. At Paasivuorenkatu 3 a winter garden can be found in the courtyard and a swimming pool on the top floor.
“There are many buildings in Helsinki whose original purpose of use and operating environment have changed decisively. As buildings, they can have significant architectural and other historical values, but they must develop – and be filled with life. Helsinki Design Week brings cultural content to these spaces every year and aims to create ‘a spirit’ for the place. After the Olympic Stadium, Enso-Gutzeit’s Sugar Cube and Merikortteli, it’s Paasivuorenkatu 3, which is something completely different again! The building is also perfectly suited to our annual theme Underneath, which invites you to get to know our designed environment beyond the ordinary,” says Helsinki Design Week Programme Director Anni Korkman.
“The building is perfectly suited to our annual theme Underneath, which invites you to get to know our designed environment beyond the ordinary.”
HDW Programme Director Anni Korkman
“Our topical festival content is planned recognizing the characteristics of the ever-changing venue and by listening to our community. The hall on the ground floor of Paasivuorenkatu 3 is perfect for organizing parties and meetings. This year, we will therefore focus on planning and implementing a high-quality Talks programme. Instead of a big main exhibition, we will bring interesting speakers from different design fields to this year’s main venue, evening parties drawing on various phenomena of urban culture and as many opportunities as possible for happy coincidences and encounters. The bar will be run by Let Me Wine.”
HDW’s main venue, Paasivuorenkatu 3, is open to the public from 11 to 14 September from 4 to 9 pm. Free entry. In addition, there will be events later in the evening, tickets for which will be sold separately. The other Helsinki Design Week main event locations will be published later in the spring and the entire programme on 6 June 2024.