Kanavaranta 1 is a rare opportunity to be a part of Alvar Aalto's human-centric philosophy. For the first time in its history, the "sugar-cube" building welcomes new occupants.
Grand on the outside, full of charm on the inside — the central concepts to Aalto's architecture. The atmosphere and aesthetic experience that Kanavaranta 1 has to offer are without parallel. Walking in feels like coming to a tasteful, artful, culturally inspired home.


News

”You name it, we got it”
DLA Piper Finland moved to its beautiful new premises in Kanavaranta 1 in January 2023. Watch the video where their Chairman of the Board Mr. Matti Ylä-Mononen, talks in more detail about the project.

Ilmatar moving to Kanavaranta 1
Ilmatar will move into the property as the newest office tenant in early 2024. Ilmatar will use the fourth and fifth floors of the property. On the fifth floor, there are the original, historically valuable meeting spaces that will be restored with respect in cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency. Other premises will be modernized in a user-oriented manner, with respect to Aalto’s legacy.

Tommi Tuominen starting as the restaurateur of Alvar Aalto’s Sugar Cube.
Restaurateur and chef Tommi Tuominen will pilot the new restaurant that is being planned for the office property at Kanavaranta 1 and is estimated to open in spring 2024.
Read More Tommi Tuominen starting as the restaurateur of Alvar Aalto’s Sugar Cube.

Honeybees on the roof of the “Sugar-cube” – sustainability work for urban biodiversity
Sustainability work in the world of real estate can take many forms – and sometimes it takes the form of wings. This was the case in Kanavaranta 1 in the summer of 2022, when a colony of approx. 100 000 honeybees inhabited the roof of the building in two beehives.
Read More Honeybees on the roof of the “Sugar-cube” – sustainability work for urban biodiversity

Kanavaranta 1 – Total work of art by Alvar Aalto
World-renown pioneer of modern architecture, Alvar Aalto was above all a great humanist.

Kanavaranta 1 is the main venue of Helsinki Design Week 2022
Kanavarata 1 will be open to the public during the Helsinki Design Week festival 1.-11.9.2022.
During these 10 days the iconic “Sugar cube” will be the center of design under this year’s main theme “We are open”.
Read More Kanavaranta 1 is the main venue of Helsinki Design Week 2022
Premises
Kanavaranta 1 represents the incredible achievement of creating a large company headquarters that translates into a stimulating human-scale workspace.
Most recognized for its outside, it’s less known that the inside of the building is what makes this a complete Alvar Aalto experience. Every detail and all the furniture and light fittings have originally been designed by the architect and his team –
a wealth of those details still exists.
As anyone who has walked through this building can affirm, Aalto’s signature approach of using natural materials, warm earthy elements and organic shapes have an incredibly balancing and uplifting influence on people.


6th floor
Roof terrace &
restaurant
Extraordinary views over the whole of Helsinki and the surrounding sea open from the 6th floor terrace, connected to the building’s restaurant.
Using this light-filled indoor and outdoor space will be a daily delight for the people working in Kanavaranta 1.
This floor also contains several private dining rooms, all with their own unique character.







5th floor
Executive facilities, meeting rooms and open plan office
Particular attention to the details and flow of the space has been made in the design of the 5th floor – making it one of the most impressive floors of Kanavaranta 1.
The lounge areas and meeting rooms have rich textures, innovative use of materials and forms, and original bespoke furniture.
The 5th floor also contains contemporary open-plan office space, which connects to the 4th floor office areas via a central staircase.


4th, 3rd & 2nd floor
Open–plan offices
The office floors have been previously updated to suit modern working styles and open-plan layouts. Light tunnels and staircases installed between the floors join the spaces and facilitate collaboration and natural flow of people.
These floors have the potential to be developed even further – skillfully contrasting the spirit of Aalto’s philosophy with the new keeper’s culture and values.







1st Floor
Main lobby, conference center and auditorium
The entrance floor to Kanavaranta 1 has many fine features, including a conference center, open plan office and even auditorium.
This property has also an underground garage with 45 car parking spaces and an area for bicycles.

Location
Kanavaranta 1 occupies an impressive seaside location in central Helsinki, observing from its elevated post the daily comings and goings of the city.
The site of the building is geographically an island, called Katajanokka, which roughly translates into a Juniper Cape. Its neighbors include the offices of the president of Finland, the czar era Uspenski Cathedral, the bustling historic market place as well as a busy international harbor.


There are cruisers, cargo ships, yachts, fishing boats as well as the public ferries taking people to the many islands of Helsinki. People here even commute by a rowing boat to work (when the weather allows). The most prestigious hotels, boutiques and restaurants the city can offer are a short stroll away, in every direction.
Finland has been nominated now twice in the row the happiest country in the world. For the practical Finns happiness means that things work well for everyone. Helsinki’s motto “the most functional city in the world” has more emotion to it than what it first sounds like.

Story
Alvar Aalto (1898–1976)
World-renown pioneer of modern architecture, Alvar Aalto was above all a great humanist. The challenge he put to himself was not to create buildings and furniture that had beauty and artistic impact, but to design continuum of spaces from inside to outside that would make people feel better.
For this he drew his inspiration and information from nature: “The very essence of architecture consists of a variety and development reminiscent of natural organic life. This is the only true style in architecture.”


Alvar Aalto designed the modernist building in 1962 as headquarters for a Finnish forestry company and it has been their headquarters until today..
The “sugar-cube” has always attracted interest and attention as a confidently progressive building in the middle of the historical city center. In 2010 the building was protected due to its national heritage value and its exceptional architectural qualities.
Kanavaranta 1 is a prominent testament to the lasting values of Aalto’s design: ingenuity, functionality, humanity and timelessness.
Contact
Kanavaranta 1
00160 Helsinki, Finland
Ville Tanskanen
+358 50 432 9629
ville.tanskanen@newsec.fi
Lena Schreiber
+358 50 350 5981
lena.schreiber@newsec.fi
Address
Kanavaranta 1
00160 Helsinki, Finland
Contact
Ville Tanskanen
+358 50 432 9629
ville.tanskanen@newsec.fi
Lena Schreiber
+358 50 350 5981
lena.schreiber@newsec.fi
Owner
Deka Immobilien Investment GmbH
Lyoner Str. 13
60528 Frankfurt am Main / Germany
www.deka-immobilien.de