Katajanokan Laituri

Katajanokan Laituri, a large-scale white timber building, accommodates behind its facade not just a hotel but also the headquarters of Finnish wood product specialist Stora Enso. Completed in 2024, Laituri joins a continuum of light-coloured buildings extending across the Helsinki waterfront from the market square to Katajanokka, as originally envisaged by Alvar Aalto.

Built entirely from wood, Katajanokan Laituri is a sustainable, responsible and low-carbon development. The architecture here is characterised by a sense of optimism and charisma, reflecting its future-focused ambitions.

In terms of its visual impact, the building adds an expanse of white to a traditionally red-brick seafront. Picking up where Alvar Aalto’s Sugar Cube, the Enso-Gutzeit HQ, left off, it joins the continuum of light-coloured buildings running from the Market Square to Katajanokka. Its neighbouring Meripaja is also white, lending further support for the choice of colour scheme here.

The entire building stands on a granite base, which evolves into the ground-level floor internally. Large in volume, the building comprises a series of highly welcoming entrances, courtyard spaces and terraced areas that act as a seamless extension to the interior spaces. The repetitive and rhythmical double-skin facade is a joy to look at and responsive to the changing light here. Its curved outline is bold without being imposing.

The centrally positioned main entrance gives direct access to the heart of the building. The light well in the main foyer both unites and divides the two parts of the building. The interiors receive an abundance of light through the many skylights and full-height windows. The foyer is very much intended as a public space, and also open to visitors is the roof terrace, designated as a garden by the designers, which offers genuinely breathtaking views of the Helsinki seafront.

One half of the building is home to the headquarters of Stora Enso, a Finnish renewable packaging and wooden construction company, while the other half has been built as a hotel. As the main tenant, Stora Enso has been closely involved in the design process since the invitation-only design competition which ran in 2020. Enso products have been used throughout both as building and decorative materials. Anttinen Oiva Architects are also responsible for the interiors here.

Katajanokan Laituri will undoubtedly serve as Stora Enso’s visual calling card around the world. The building and the spaces within it offer the ideal backdrop for effective and enjoyable working and are a great reason to leave the home office behind.

The abundance of highly processed timber throughout is an enthralling sight. The wood not only acts as a carbon sink, it also regulates humidity and offers wonderful acoustic properties. Timber buildings have been shown to enhance creativity, improve concentration and wellbeing in general and to reduce stress and lower the heart rate. The atmosphere here is laid back, expansive and thoroughly human.

Katajanokan Laituri is a flagship design for contemporary Finnish wood architecture.