Plan for new building in Government Palace courtyard developed to match historical environment

The project aims to keep the city block by Senate Square available to the government.  Construction of a new building in the palace courtyard is the current plan, which requires that the old printing house within is torn down. Matching the architecture and Empire-style of the Government Palace and its courtyard is a goal for the new building. 

Restart of project preparation by City Council decision 

Work for the detailed plan in this project has been ongoing for many years. In spring 2024, the preparation of the plan was restarted by the Helsinki City Council. It was the Council’s wish to better consider the historical value, on one hand by retaining the old printing house, which had been proposed to be torn down, or on the other, by having the new building match the historical surroundings better. 

In the new preparation of the project, both options were observed and considered as required by the City Council. Consideration was given to the historical value, the protection orders of the Government Palace, the requirements of the facility and the security requirements of the government.  

Preservation of the printing house proves difficult 

Building underground facilities, which will be necessary for government operations, is made impossible by the foundation of the printing house. Due to the narrowness of the printing house, it is also unable to accommodate modern meeting rooms. 

Expansion of the printing house would reduce the available courtyard, thus changing its original shape. 

The project also studied the possibility of dismantling of the printing house’s foundation and lifting the building by 1.5 metres. Doing so would make underground construction possible, but would carry significant technical risks and a higher project cost.  

 “In cooperation with the authorities, we conducted a thorough study of the options of the City Council’s resolution for this project. Special attention was given to options that would preserve the printing house, but it would not have been possible to achieve the operational, security and protection-related goals of the government with them,” describes Director Heikki Hovi from the Prime Minister’s Office.   

“This solution will give us a modern work environment that supports the government’s decision-making and meets international requirements. It will also make it possible to build a conference and media centre that meets today’s security requirements. As the functional solutions are implemented in the new building and underneath the courtyard, this solution allows us to avoid making changes to the Government Palace itself, which is protected,” Hovi emphasises.  

Through renovation of the Government Palace and the construction of the new building, the administrative block becomes significantly more accessible. 

New building to match the historical environment of the Government Palace 

In a departure from the previous plan, the new building is smaller and one fewer story tall. The frame of the new building will be more sleek and match the old, preserved area in a way that respects its appearance. The spirit and symmetry of the old Empire-style block will be well preserved with the new building, which will emulate architect Ricardo Björnberg’s design language for the printing house. 

The detailed plan of the Government Palace will be available at hel.fi/suunnitelmat during 9 January – 7 February 2025. Written opinions should be sent to the City of Helsinki Register Office by 7 February 2025.