Kirjatalo

Kirjatalo (Swedish: Bokhuset; lit. 'Book House') is a commercial building located on the corner of Pohjoisesplanadi and Keskuskatu in central Helsinki, Finland. It is notable for having been designed by Alvar Aalto.^[2] Possibly its best-known resident is the flagship store of the Academic Bookstore chain.^[2]

Kirjatalo
Kirjatalo seen from southwesterly direction
Alternative names	Kirjapalatsi ('Book Palace')[1]
General information
Type	Commercial
Architectural style	Modernism
Location	Pohjoisesplanadi 39, Helsinki, Finland
Coordinates	60.16780°N 24.94333°E / 60.16780; 24.94333
Completed	1969[1]
Technical details
Floor area	8,861 square metres (95,380 sq ft)[2]
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Alvar Aalto[1]

Background

In 1961, the plot's owner, retail company Stockmann, whose main department store is located across the street, announced an architectural competition for the design of a new mixed-use property on the site. The winner of that contest was Alvar Aalto, who had also designed the nearby Rautatalo.^[1]

Architecture

Interior view of Academic Bookstore, occupying the ground and adjacent floors of Kirjatalo

Both the copper-clad exterior, and the central atrium concept of the building's interior, were designed to match those of the Rautatalo.^[1]

The central space making up the atrium receives natural illumination from the skylights extending downwards from the roof. Surrounding the atrium are the upper floors' mezzanine structures.^[1]

Recent developments

The upper floors, originally allocated to office use, have subsequently been taken over by the book store.^[3]

There is a restaurant, Café Aalto, opened in 1986, located on the first floor of the building.^[3]

In 2015, Stockmann sold the operations of the Academic Bookstore chain to the Bonnier Group.^[4]

In 2018, Stockmann also sold the property to a real estate investor for over EUR 108 m.^[2]