First new office building in Töölönlahti topped out
The first of four new office buildings to be constructed in the Töölönlahti area of Helsinki has now advanced to the topping-out stage. The building, which will be occupied by Alma Media and Ahlstrom, was commissioned by Etera Mutual Pension Insurance Company. Construction is being carried out by Lemminkäinen.
The five-storey office building will be completed between Finlandia Hall and the railway yard in late November. It will house all of Alma Media's units in the Helsinki metropolitan area: Kauppalehti and Iltalehti, Alma Media Helsinki Desk, Alma 360, Monster Oy and group functions, in all around 500 Alma Media employees. One floor will be reserved for Ahlstrom Corporation's head office.
The building was designed by JKMM Architects, and is being built by Lemminkäinen Talo Oy, Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Construction began in spring 2011. The five storeys will provide approximately 10,000 square metres of office space.
A total of four new office buildings will be built in Töölönlahti, three of them by Lemminkäinen for Etera. "This presents us with a unique opportunity to build in a prime location in the centre of Helsinki. We believe that these buildings will retain their value and generate a steady return, which is important to a pension insurance company," says Hannu Tarkkonen, Etera's managing director.
Etera focuses on energy and environmental efficiency in its real estate investments. The new office buildings in Töölönlahti will be built in compliance with the criteria of the international LEED environmental certification. "We are strongly committed to promoting sustainable development and eco-efficiency in our real estate investments. The Töölönlahti buildings will be nicely in line with this goal," Tarkkonen says.
"Lemminkäinen has solid expertise in large office and commercial property undertakings. The Töölönlahti projects will further strengthen our position as a builder and developer of the centres of major cities," says Jussi Niiranen, director in charge of the construction of business premises in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
"Close internal cooperation is a key success factor for Alma Media. With the completion of the new premises, all our employees in Helsinki will finally be able to work together under one roof. The premises were designed with a media company's needs in mind and provide excellent support for new, flexible ways of working," says Kai Telanne, President and CEO of Alma Media Corporation.
"We have been involved in the design process since the very beginning, to make the premises just right for us. The new Töölönlahti premises are centrally located and promote open interaction and cooperation between employees," says Paula Aarnio, Executive Vice President for Human Resources and Sustainability at Ahlstrom.
For more information, please contact:
Hannu Tarkkonen, Managing Director, Etera, tel. +358 10 553 3200 or +358 40 594 9173, email in the format of firstname.lastname@etera.fi
Jussi Niiranen, Director, Construction of Business Premises, Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Lemminkäinen Talo Oy, tel. +358 2071 53208 or +358 40 723 3807, email in the format of firstname.lastname@lemminkainen.com
Etera Mutual Pension Insurance Company insures employees and entrepreneurs in private-sector fields of business. Etera provides pension cover for employees and self-employed persons and promotes well-being at work. In 2011, Etera paid out EUR 1 billion in pensions to 150,000 pension recipients. Etera has EUR 5.5 billion invested to secure pension funds. Of this, EUR 826 million are invested in real estate. Read more at etera.fi.
Lemminkäinen Group operates in all areas of the construction sector. The Group's operations are organised into four business sectors: building construction, infrastructure construction, technical building services and international operations. Net sales in 2011 were about EUR 2.3 billion, of which international operations accounted for roughly one third. The Group employs 8,400 people on average. Lemminkäinen Corporation's share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. www.lemminkainen.fi