Lemcon Networks' head office moved into new premises in the Salmisaari district of Helsinki, Finland in August together with the rest of Lemminkäinen Group's head office.
The new premises are part of a 66,000 m2 office complex developed by Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company. Lemminkäinen subsidiary Oy Alfred A. Palmberg Ab carried out the construction work as a management contract. The value of the contract was approx. EUR 100 million, making it one of Finland’s biggest building construction projects in recent years.
Construction work at Salmisaari began in summer 2006. The premises intended for use by Varma were completed in summer 2008, and phase II construction, the premises of Sampo Bank Ltd, last summer. Lemminkäinen’s 10,000 m2 of office space were completed in July 2009.
Lemminkäinen’s office premises consists of two buildings, which are named after two deities from Finnish mythology: Vetehinen (God of the Sea) and Ilmatar (Spirit of Air). The conference rooms are also named after characters from Finland’s national epic, the Kalevala.
As recently as the beginning of the last century, Salmisaari was a small island in the bay. In the early 1920s the strait between Salmisaari island and the mainland was filled in and the area was developed for industrial use. The new red-brick head office building blends in well with the old industrial environment that was built in the 1930-50s. Buildings like the nearby power plant, cable factory, harbour and winery are absent from other modern business parks. The new office complex was designed by architect Tuomo Siitonen.
Behind the red-brick façade and dark trellises, the modern and well-equipped office spaces are light and airy. With something like 10,000 square metres of window area in total, there is no lack of natural light inside the building. Part of the premises can be converted into an open-plan office, the remainder separate rooms. The personnel have contributed to the interior design solutions.