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Adaptive Reuse of Stockmann’s Department Store in Central Helsinki

Part 2 Project 2022
Benjamin Aaro Akerblom
Aalto University | Finland
Stockmann's department store in central Helsinki is one of Finland's most significant commercial buildings in terms of architecture and cultural history.

The upheaval in the retail industry, where customers are increasingly making their purchasing decisions online, has run traditional retailers, such as Stockmann, under distress. The e-commerce revolution has reduced the need for physical retail space. This change has opened up the possibility of exploring new commercial and non-commercial activities in the context of department stores.

The aim of reusing Stockmann's department store in the centre of Helsinki is to find a balanced new use alongside the department store. The most notable changes are presented to the spatially modest top floors. The goal has been to raise their spatial quality to the same level as on the lower floors of the department store.

This project is an example of how a partial reuse of a historically significant building can be approached. At the same time, the result is a realistic and hypothetical proposal for locating the Museum of Architecture and Design in Stockmann's department store in central Helsinki, as well as a proposal for a restaurant extension at the southern end.

Benjamin Aaro Akerblom

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2022
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