Kirjatalo (Swedish: Bokhuset; lit. 'Book House') is a commercial building located on the corner of Pohjoisesplanadi and Keskuskatu in central Helsinki, Finland. It is notable for having been designed by Alvar Aalto.[2] Possibly its best-known resident is the flagship store of the Academic Bookstore chain.[2]
| Kirjatalo | |
|---|---|
_-_G27482_-_hkm.HKMS000005-km0000ndqe.jpg) Kirjatalo seen from southwesterly direction | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Kirjapalatsi ('Book Palace')[1] |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial |
| Architectural style | Modernism |
| Location | Pohjoisesplanadi 39, Helsinki, Finland |
| Coordinates | 60°10′04″N 24°56′36″E / 60.16780°N 24.94333°E |
| Completed | 1969[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 8,861 square metres (95,380 sq ft)[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Alvar Aalto[1] |
Background edit
In 1961, the plot's owner, retail company Stockmann, whose main department store is located across the street, announced an architectural competition for the design of a new mixed-use property on the site. The winner of that contest was Alvar Aalto, who had also designed the nearby Rautatalo.[1]
Architecture edit
_-_G27515_-_hkm.HKMS000005-km0000ne2b.jpg)
Both the copper-clad exterior, and the central atrium concept of the building's interior, were designed to match those of the Rautatalo.[1]
The central space making up the atrium receives natural illumination from the skylights extending downwards from the roof. Surrounding the atrium are the upper floors' mezzanine structures.[1]
Recent developments edit
The upper floors, originally allocated to office use, have subsequently been taken over by the book store.[3]
There is a restaurant, Café Aalto, opened in 1986, located on the first floor of the building.[3]
In 2015, Stockmann sold the operations of the Academic Bookstore chain to the Bonnier Group.[4]
In 2018, Stockmann also sold the property to a real estate investor for over EUR 108 m.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f "Book House". AlvarAalto.fi. Alvar Aalto Foundation. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Stockmann myy Kirjatalo-kiinteistönsä Helsingin keskustasta" [Stockmann sells its Kirjatalo property in central Helsinki] (in Finnish). Yle. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Alvar Aalto ja Kirjatalo". Akateeminen.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Alvar Aallon piirtämä Kirjatalo saa uuden omistajan – Stockmann myi talon kiinteistösijoittajalle" [Alvar Aalto's Kirjatalo gets a new owner - Stockmann sold the property to a real estate investor]. Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). 24 January 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
