Real estate The office building in the 1970s underwent a complete transformation when the study rooms became apartments in Helsinki’s new residential area.

Thoroughly renovated apartment building Postipuiston Tähti rises against the blue January sky. At construction sites near North Pasila, hoists reach out to the heights, and workers roam the buildings surrounded by fresh white snow.

Unlike many nearby houses, Postipuisto Tähti is already completed, and most of the apartments are inhabited.

In North Pasila A lot of completely new apartment buildings are being built in Postipuisto, but the Star of Postipuisto has a history dating back decades. Most recently, it served as a reception center. The Finnish Immigration Service’s detention unit still operates nearby in Metsälä.

The building, which was originally completed in the late 1970s, served as Maaliikenne oy’s office building. The designer was an architect Toivo Korhonen.

Prior to the recent renovation, the building was box-like in appearance. At the bottom, attention was drawn to the sturdy concrete pillars. The color can be described as pale, reddish brown.

Now the building looks more refreshing and vibrant to the visitor’s eye. This is due not only to structural changes but also to a stronger reddish-brown hue.

The appearance has become more multidimensional, especially as ground-based balconies were added to the building and windows were widened.

Office building the renovation project began when the renovation construction company UH Rakennus bought it for itself in December 2019. The company carried out extensive demolition work. Mainly only the staircase, the elevator shaft and the load-bearing concrete element frame remained.

The architectural design was done by Marja-Riitta Norri Architects, who were responsible for the design. Marja-Riitta Norri, Reeta Laine and Sanelma Hihnala. Now they and the foreman Petri Vehviläinen UH Building will present the end result to visitors.

The small details catch the eye. They say the technology associated with houses is evolving and that it is a modern building.

First, the bulletin board on the wall in the main lobby is electronic. It also includes the property manager’s press releases and Yle’s news. The bulletin board is taken care of by the property manager, who can pass information through it, Vehviläinen says.

There is also a Post Office parcel machine in the lobby for the use of the residents of the house. Near the front door is a washing point where you can clean boots or prams, for example. The dog’s paws can also be rinsed.

In connection with the renovation, retail space was added to the building at street level. The operator of the retail space is not yet known, but the space has the capacity for a restaurant, for example.

Talon from the gym, a resident can book shifts for a fee. You can even work out on the treadmill or rowing machine. There are no rumbling devices, as the people upstairs are not allowed to be disturbed.

The corridors feel somewhat maze-like, reminiscent of the building’s past as an office building. History is also reflected in the fact that the corridors are partly long-lasting and reminiscent of a hotel.

The stairwell is a legacy of the original building and has a feel to the past. For example, a metal railing has been preserved from an old house. Its color is close to the original.

For the most part the apartments have a large glazed balcony, some with a French balcony. Less than 20 apartments also have their own sauna, Vehviläinen says.

There are a total of 97 apartments.

Of course, the house also has a condominium sauna, where you can book a shift for a fee. The steam room can accommodate about a dozen saunas at a time. After the laundry room there is a dressing room which also serves as a lounge. It opens to a small cooling terrace.

Opposite the terrace is another apartment building, so no significant privacy is offered. A tree is growing between the terrace and the neighboring house to protect it.

The visitor to the eye it seems that the office space has managed to conjure up nice apartments. Sizes range from 28 square meters to 110 square meters.

Vehviläinen says that converting the old office building into a residential building was technically demanding.

“The old frame had to be strengthened quite a bit.”

The top floor of the house was also demolished and two floors were built in its place.

Norri, who worked as the main designer, points out that saving the old concrete frame has climate benefits: there is no need for new concrete that produces carbon dioxide emissions.

“Old concrete is worth taking advantage of and thus promoting the circular economy.”

Norri says the concrete will harden for a hundred years and longer. So the consolidation of Postipuisto Tähti’s concrete is still continuing.

On the cliff You can bet a long life on the standing Star of the Postal Park. The future shows how the environment will change.

Now the region is urbanizing at a rapid pace as new buildings rise rapidly in the vicinity. Alepa has opened in the house next door. According to plans, the tram network will be extended to the area and there would be a stop at the corner of the house.

The Central Park, which starts behind Metsäläntie, brings naturalness to the area. There are, among other things, the Maunula walnut groves and the outdoor hut.

For example, a resident of Postipuisto Tähti can take his skis from the house’s warehouse and go skiing on the trails of Keskuspuisto if there are enough snow winters.

Read more: Kone’s old head office, which had been vacant for years, was converted into apartments in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki.

Read more: Töölö’s office building in the 1960s is being renovated into luxury apartments: The most expensive apartment costs more than three million euros