In 2012 there was an invitational architects’ competition for the city block at the entrance of the new Jätkäsaari neighbourhood, which aimed to implement a set of buildings representing next-generation wooden architecture with a total floor area of nearly 30,000 GFA, including both residential dwellings and business premises. 

Anttinen Oiva Architects, an agency from Helsinki, won the competition. The residential buildings of the project named Wood City were completed in 2019 and an office building was completed in 2020. Another office building, which will complete the project, is currently under construction.

The office building with a wooden structure, that is already completed, was tailored to meet the internationally successful gaming company Supercell’s needs in collaboration with the architect agency and other designers. You can tell that Supercell has found its home in the office building by the amusing sculptures depicting characters from Clash of Clans and other games. There is also a day-care centre built for the employees’ children and a three-storey car park for the use of the entire block. Wood is present on all surfaces and furniture, all of which represent high-quality design and craft.

The lobby has an impressive wavy ceiling, formed by plate-like pieces of wood. The upper floors are penetrated by a skylight and the high space allows the visitors to admire the wooden structure of the building. The building also has sections with concrete structures that bring rigidity to the structure.

From the outside, the architecture of the block appears fairly minimalistic, even stark. The closed parts of the facades left in the shade of wood, the solid parts of the walls and the windows as well as the openings for balconies form upright repetitive rows. In the residential buildings, these vary on a grid-like shape resembling a chess board, while in the office buildings, solid façade surfaces alternate with floor-to-ceiling windows as narrow, vertical ribbons. Two of the residential buildings in Wood City have the City of Helsinki’s rental dwellings.

The final phase of the block consisting of four building masses in total is set to be completed in 2024. The eight-floor office building will be the headquarters of F-Secure, an information security business that has expanded to the global market.