Varma to launch construction of an office building in Espoo – Keilaniemen Portti will serve as the landmark for the office hub

The novel, modern office hub being built in Espoo’s Keilaniemi has attracted the headquarters of several companies. The Keilaniemen Portti office building developed by Varma will be distinctive in appearance compared to the other buildings designed for the area.

The building’s frame will consist of glulam posts, a concrete-CLT composite slab and steel beams. A wooden cladding will be installed to the aluminium frame of the facade. Keilaniemen Portti will become one of Europe’s highest office buildings using wood as a key material in the frame.

With a height of 57 metres, the building will have 14 floors above ground level and two basement floors. The shape of the building was designed to allow the maximum amount of daylight in, through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The building will have a total floor area of 17,700 square metres on 12 floors.

“Our goal is to develop an office building with a unique architecture and environmental values in line with Varma’s construction principles in Keilaniemi, a metro and railway hub. The project’s ambition is to implement features that enhance work satisfaction with the aim to increase the building’s attractiveness for companies and users,” says Sampsa Ratia, Head of Real Assets at Varma.

The architect for Keilaniemen Portti is ARCO Architecture Company and the implementation of the project is entrusted to Jatke Toimitilat.

Keilaniemen Portti will be constructed along the Keilalahdentie road next to Kehä I ring road and Länsiväylä highway. It is located at a traffic hub near the Jokeri Light Rail’s end station and the Keilaniemi metro station. Good connections increase the use of public transport, thus reducing the emissions from commutes. The building’s basement and yard will also accommodate a total of 400 bicycle parking spaces.

Solar panels and a green roof will be installed on the building’s roof. The building is designed to be adaptable so that it can easily be modified when needs change.

The project promotes Espoo’s carbon neutrality targets through sustainable construction. It also supports Varma’s target of a carbon-neutral investment portfolio by 2035. BREEAM Excellent environmental certification will be sought for Keilaniemen Portti.

The Espoo City Board has approved the sale of the plot to Varma. Construction will start in July, and the building will be completed in the autumn of 2026.

Varma is one of Finland’s largest real estate investors, with real estate assets worth approximately EUR 5.7 billion. The lettable premises include hotel properties, business premises, commercial centre premises and over 4,300 rental apartments. Varma’s other current office building construction projects include, for example, Katajanokan Laituri, an office building located in Katajanokka, and the modifications to the older parts of the Arabia135 block located in Toukola, Helsinki.

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company is a responsible and solvent investor of pension funds. The company is responsible for the statutory earnings-related pension cover of 942,000 people in the private sector. Varma’s premiums written totalled EUR 6.1 billion in 2022 and pension payments stood at EUR 6.5 billion. The company’s investment portfolio amounted to EUR 56.6 billion at the end of March 2023.