Aleksanterinkatu 13 is an integral part of Finland’s industrial history. When completed in 1900, the house was revolutionary in many ways: the property was the first purely commercial building in Finland with no residential apartments. The facades and the frame of the building were separate, which meant that the layout was already entirely modifiable at the time. Its adaptable layout makes the building more environmentally friendly, making it ahead of its time also in this respect.
The building received an enthusiastic reception at the time, as it was said to have changed the appearance of Helsinki into a modern European metropolis. Its inspiration comes from German and Viennese commercial building architecture of the 1800s. The building’s tall spaces, magnificent staircases and large and ornate windows aroused admiration at the time just as they do today.
