Meilahti Tower Hospital · Finnish Architecture Navigator

Architect: Jaakko Paatela SARC Architects Architect Group Reino Koivula
Completion: 1965
Renovation: 2014
Gross area: 35620 m²
Themes: Finnish Architecture Biennial Review 2016
Category: Buildings for institutional care
Tags: Finnish Architecture Biennial Review 2016 glass healthcare high-rise hospital renovation welfare

Designed by Jaakko Paatela and Reino Koivula and completed in 1965, Meilahti Tower Hospital is a heritage site and iconic landmark. It is the first high-rise tower hospital and one of the first curtain wall structures in Finland.

In the renovation the wards were fully modernized to meet modern-standards of specialized health care. The challenges were retrofitting new technology into the tight spaces between the low ceilings and massive beams and improving the energy efficiency of the elevations.

A further goal was to improve the look of the facades, which had suffered through repeated modifications. Computer simulation and on-site trial installations were indispensable in optimizing the layout, integrating the technical systems and finding a workable solution of the facade. Though functionality and efficiency are top priorities, the interiors are fresh and appealing in appearance. The renewed facade recaptures the lively, clean-lined modernism of the original architecture.

Source: Finnish Architecture Biennial Review 2016 catalogue