From the ring road one sees a large, black and windowless wall, in the upper corner of which is a logo comprising the company name. The simple form emerged from the requirements of a warehouse: the local detailed plan did not exactly set out stipulations for the appearance of a building along the main road.On the rear side one gets to see what happens inside the building: at the one end there is a row of loading bays and at the other a glazed corner and a wood-clad cube marking the client entrance. In addition to the logistics centre, the building also houses the company’s headquarters, a showroom and a restaurant.

The architecture firm Arkkitehtiruutu undertook work for the building’s owner and developer, NREP Logicenters, and acted as the principal designers. The user of the building, Finnish Design Shop, then brought in Avanto Architects and Studio Joanna Laajisto to design the interiors and facades.The abstract vertical relief pattern of the facades refers to the tree trunks of the surrounding forest. The forest was a natural theme, because the location is quite interesting. There is a nature reserve nearby, even though the building itself is located as a buffer zone between it and the main road. For example,  significantly larger windows were made for the first-floor office spaces than is usually the case, so that one can see over the logistics yard and into the forest.

The restaurant has a terrace and the staff spaces have a balcony, where one feels close to nature. The aim was to conserve as much of the surroundings as possible, which proved difficult when landfill had to be carried out in the surroundings.

The shape and size of the building came from the requirements of the robotic transport system. What was left was deciding the colours, surfaces and fenestration.  The building was like a gift for which someone had to come up with the wrapping paper.

Inspiration was looked for not only from the environment but also from the logistics process itself, the products for sale and their history.  The customer was presented with at least 20 different ideas for what the wrapping could be: splint baskets, woven baskets and patterns developed from them, even a chair facade. The customer leaned towards a timeless and more abstract concrete option. Usually, the best result comes when the customer is ambitious and demanding. A challenge is good – that’s when quality is created.

Source: Essi Oikarinen’s review and interview of architects Ville Hara & Anu Puustinen published in Finnish Architectural Review 1/2023