Traditional commercial building on Erottaja
Influenced by late Art Nouveau, the traditional commercial building was completed at Erottajankatu 7 in 1911. The building was designed by Valter Thomé in 1910, while he worked at Valter Thomé & Bröderna Udd. The developer was a housing company.
The traditional commercial building in Helsinki’s Kaartinkaupunki replaced a two-storey wooden building. Restaurant Biljard and the Hemmi grocery, which sold exotic and expensive imported fruit at the time, operated in the wooden building.
The building’s architect Valter Thomé also designed other valued buildings in the centre of Helsinki, for example on Annankatu and Bulevardi. However, his career came to a tragic end during the Civil War when he and his two brothers were killed by the Red troops in February 1918 in Vihti.
From banking and media to a restaurant hub
The ground floor of the building achieved its current appearance in 1957, when the display windows and plaster were renovated in accordance with plans drawn up by Ylermi Salminen. The street building underwent a thorough office renovation in 1972 led by the architecture firm Olli Kuusi. The building was renovated in 1985–1988. At that time, only the street-side rooms and the stairwell were preserved in their former style. The façade on the side of the courtyard is new, and a new courtyard building was built in the same context.
The property is surrounded by impressive renaissance revival style houses, opposite Kolmikulma Park. The area once served as a cluster for the banking and media worlds. The Union Bank of Finland (SYP), which is one of the banks that Nordea stems from, has operated in the building.
Today, there are several design and restaurant companies in the area. Erottajankatu 7 is part of an area known as Design District Helsinki, which has numerous design and antique shops, galleries, museums and design offices. Theatre art is represented in the building by the puppet theatre Nukketeatteri Sampo.
Building infomation
- Osoite: Erottajankatu 7
- Rakennusvuosi: 1910
- Arkkitehdit: Walter Thomé, Bröderna Udd
- Kortteli: Miekkakala
First published: 15.5.2017