Kirjatalo

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
Kirjatalo seen from southwesterly direction
Alternative namesKirjapalatsi ('Book Palace')[1]
General information
TypeCommercial
Architectural styleModernism
LocationPohjoisesplanadi 39, Helsinki, Finland
Coordinates60.16780°N 24.94333°E / 60.16780; 24.94333
Completed1969[1]
Technical details
Floor area8,861 square metres (95,380 sq ft)[2]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Alvar Aalto[1]

Background

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
Interior view of Academic Bookstore, occupying the ground and adjacent floors of Kirjatalo

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

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
  1. "Book House". AlvarAalto.fi. Alvar Aalto Foundation. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  2. "Stockmann myy Kirjatalo-kiinteistönsä Helsingin keskustasta" [Stockmann sells its Kirjatalo property in central Helsinki] (in Finnish). Yle. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  3. "Alvar Aalto ja Kirjatalo". Akateeminen.com (in Finnish). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  4. "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.
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