Learning Centre Aleksandria

Aleksandria - Presentation - History of the Building

The topping out ceremony of the learning centre on the University of Helsinki City Centre Campus took place on Thursday, 9 January 2003.

Construction work was begun in September 2001 by tearing down the part of the Fabianinkatu 28 building that stood in the courtyard. The part facing the street, a residential building designed by Gunnar Stenius and completed in 1907, was renovated.

A new building with four storeys above ground level and one below ground level was constructed into the courtyard. The street wing was renovated to accommodate mainly offices for the staff. The courtyard was covered by a glass roof and a new entrance into the Kaisa Shopping Centre was constructed in the Fabianinkatu 26 courtyard (facing the Language Centre building). The learning centre can also be accessed through the Kaisa Shopping Centre. In time, the roofed corridor in the courtyard, connecting the buildings in the quarter, will run from the learning centre all the way to the Porthania building.

The architectural look of the new building is dominated by colourful blinds covering the facade.

The total floor space of the new building is 3,005 br-m 2 and the old, renovated building has a total floor space of 2,492 br-m 2. The building project cost about 8.8 million euro. Simultaneously with the building project a cooling system serving the whole network of university buildings in the quarter was installed.

The developer was the University of Helsinki Technical Department and the construction consultant was Indepro Oy. The architectural design was by Davidsson Architects and interior design by Interior Arcitects Gullstén-Inkinen Oy. The main contractor was SRV Viitoset Oy.

23 April, 2010