Argos, Art Nouveau façade at Mannerheimweg intersection, Helsinki, Finland.
Argos is a five-story residential building with detailed masonry using Swedish sandstone at the Mannerheimweg intersection in central Helsinki. The stone exterior displays carved details and connects directly to the adjacent department store.
Built in 1897 by architect John Settergren, it replaced a two-story building that had stood there since 1843. Renovations in the 1980s connected it to the adjacent department store while keeping the street-facing exterior intact.
The ground floor once housed a stationery shop that gave this corner its nickname and remains part of how locals remember the place. This location shaped daily life for people in the neighborhood.
The building sits at a busy intersection in central Helsinki and is easy to reach on foot. The stonework is visible from the street, and you can walk around it to see the details and connection to the adjacent stores.
Architect Settergren had worked with Isak Gustaf Clason, who designed a similarly styled building in Stockholm, before creating this project. This connection shows in the similar design approach between the two facades.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
