Old Chemistry
Located on Bulevardi in Kamppi, Helsinki, this valuable property consists of two existing, interconnected buildings: New Chemistry and Old Chemistry.
Old Chemistry is a red-brick building in the inner part of the block, completed in 1899 as the chemistry laboratory building of the Polytechnic Institute. The architect was Onni Tarjanne, who also designed the extension of the laboratory in 1921. The building housed the chemistry laboratories of the Helsinki University of Technology as well as teaching and work spaces.
Old Chemistry was formerly one of the buildings of the Bulevardi campus of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The building housed the university’s teaching spaces and offices. The building was built as an extension of the original chemistry laboratory building, to which it was connected by a footbridge. Until the 1940s, the building was called “New Chemistry”. The original laboratory building was destroyed in the war, and the current New Chemistry building was completed on its site in 1949. The red-brick Old Chemistry is located behind the New Chemistry building and the building at Bulevardi 29, bordering the eastern edge of the site, opposite the Alexander Theatre.
The red-brick building adds an interesting layer to the block’s ensemble of buildings. It stands out from the other buildings in its façade material and form. The interiors were repaired after a fire caused by the bombings of the Winter War, and the building was also renovated in the 1980s.
New Chemistry
The New Chemistry building was completed in 1949. It represents pared-down, rational modernism. Architect Johan Sigfrid Sirén designed the building in the middle of the Helsinki University of Technology block, on the site of buildings demolished after bombing in the Continuation War. The building housed the chemistry laboratories and teaching spaces of the Helsinki University of Technology.
New Chemistry was also one of the buildings of the Bulevardi campus of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. New Chemistry is the most recent part of the educational block to date. It is located in the middle of the block, behind the main building and symmetrical to it. New Chemistry is connected to the Old Chemistry building via a stairwell and the basement. The basement also provides access to the main building.
From education to housing
After educational use ended, a local detailed plan was drawn up for the block of school buildings, through which the area is being converted to residential, commercial and office use. After the renovation of the chemistry buildings, New and Old Chemistry are becoming rental apartment properties for Kojamo. The renovation was designed with great care, respecting the history and values of the building. The building has not changed significantly on the outside; only on the courtyard side were balconies built for residents. A new residential floor with superb terraces and urban views was built in the attic. The new apartments are located on floors 1–3 in Old Chemistry and on floors 1–4 in New Chemistry.
Lumo
Bulevardi 31
Location: Kamppi, Helsinki
Size: 7,000 / attics 625 gross m²
Completed: 2023
Client: Kojamo
Original designers: Old Chemistry – Onni Tarjanne 1899, New Chemistry – Johan Sigfrid Sirén 1949
