Sompasaarenlaituri 12, Helsinki

Dygden city block is situated in maritime Sompasaari close to Helsinki’s city centre. Completed in 2022, the block is made up of four apartment buildings, underground carparking and a shared central courtyard. The project’s “SunZeroEnergyBuilding” concept seeks to find solutions for near zero energy building. Excess solar heat gain within the building is collected by the district cooling system and fed back into Helsinki’s district heating network. Dygden city block is part of Helsinki city’s Re-thinking Urban Housing programme.

The block’s western corner was realised as a consultant-led group building development. The apartments’ spatial planning and material choices were designed to allow for modification according to residents’ individual needs and preferences. A covered space stretching the full seaside length of the city block was created by extending the neighbouring building’s arcade. The 8-storey volume of the building is characterised by recesses within its dark brick facade, while the lower volumes are made of two different lighter-coloured rough textured bricks. Ornamental brick bonds enliven the balcony facades.

Architecture firm Konkret: https://konkret.fi/