Espoo Funerary Chapel
- Espoo
- 1963
The Granite House (Graniittitalo) was commissioned by the National Savings Bank in the early 1980s. The bank was the biggest listed company in Finland at the time. The development of the plot in Kamppi started in 1981. The new commercial building with offices and business premises was designed by Kaija and Heikki Siren Architects. The Sirens’ had already in the 1960s worked with the National Savings Bank that was the main developer of the famous Circle House, designed by the Sirens in the 1960s. The Circle House had a similar function as the Granite house, ground floor was for business premises and the upper floors were for offices. The development of the Granite House was completed in 1985.
The Granite House has seven storeys, with the setback ground floor and top floor. The main façade opens with the entrance to the business premises toward the southeast and the Kamppi Centre. The building is a fine example of the 1980s architecture, where the strictness of Modernism turns into experimental Postmodernism. The valuable granite façade gives a prestigious image to the building.