The name “JUURET”, meaning ROOTS in Finnish language suggests the concept of this building in many ways. The building inherits the history of Katajanokka, which is the meeting point of the redbrick harbor atmosphere and the white context continued from the city center of Helsinki. The building blends into the city fabric by its simple and clean grid elevation on the quayside, and the arched façade on the street side. The building is entirely built with timber, which represents the core business and the roots of Stora Enso. The two building blocks are separated by a real Nordic Forest. The space is equipped with an operable glass roof and glass shutters that allow the space to become an outdoor public space during mild seasons. After an unprecedented crisis, the world learned that buildings should be more opened, instead of enclosing people in a sealed box. The forest encourages this building to breath, and invite the users to extend their area of activities instead of being confined in their offices.
