The first full scale architectural competition held in Finland was the head office of the Bank of Finland in 1876. A total of nine proposals were submitted. German architect Ludvig Bohnstedt submitted two proposals, one of which was awarded the first prize.

The cornerstone of the building was laid on 13 May 1879 and the bank was completed in 1883.

Bohnstedt’s proposal for the Bank of Finland, an enclosed stone building standing alone on its plot, includes typical features of the era. For example, the two-storey building has a clear, almost cubic form, slightly protruding wings, rustic facades and Roman arches.

In the interior, the magnificent spatial progression leads from the ground floor entrance hall to the monumental staircase that dominates the entire spatial composition – as in so many 19th-century public buildings – and onwards to the halls on the main floor.

An invited competition for the restoration of the Bank of Finland was held in 2000 and the works were carried out by the winning office, NRT Architects.