In the lobby, one’s eye is inevitably drawn to the graceful steel roof trusses and the triangular skylight, the small glass panes of which have been cleaned of the dirt accumulated over the decades. The repair of the more than thirty large skylights has been one of the most laborious part of the project. In most of the skylights, the small glass panes on the outside are replaced with larger thermal-glass elements, which significantly improves the building’s energy efficiency. At the same time, however, the lattice-like effect created by two overlapping layers of glass is lost. It will be preserved only in the outermost skylights visible on the Konepajanraitti pedestrian route, the windows of which will only be replaced with thicker laminated glass.

On the outside, the largest change has been the demolition of the timber-drying section added in 1927 to the west side of the assembly hall. The measure is somewhat at odds with the ideology of preserving historical layers, and yet, it provides the opportunity to see the whole of the decorative transept-like gable end. Another visible change is the replacement of the exterior doors from different decades with uniform steel-framed glazed entrances. Modifying double doors dimensioned for train carriages into fire escape doors would certainly have been difficult, and the thermal insulation of the envelope has also been improved. Next to the richly structured brick walls, however, the unassuming steel and glass walls feel rather lifeless. Fortunately, a more successful solution has been found for the next step: the old double doors are locked in the open position, so that the new steel and glass structures appear as additions that can be removed if necessary.

It is fortunate that the changes have been made in stages and thus experience has gradually been accumulated along the way. The next phase, in which the main space of the assembly hall – one of the most impressive interior spaces in Finnish industrial architecture – will be transformed into a restaurant wholesalers and emporium, is indeed critical for the success of the entire project. In the 1990s, the adjacent paint workshop was divided into separate workspaces, and this space division will be maintained in the future as well. The solution is undoubtedly advantageous for the diversity of the commercial ecosystem, but architecturally the most ideal solution would be to restore a single hall space. It would, of course, still be possible to do that later.

Source: Kristo Vesikansa’s review in Finnish Architectural Review 5/2023