Ympyrätalo, Protected office building in Siltasaari, Finland.
Ympyrätalo is a protected office building in Siltasaari with a distinctive circular design featuring unbroken curved walls of windows and concrete panels. Inside, workspaces and shops occupy the same structure, creating a mixed-use environment where offices sit alongside retail services and a medical clinic.
The structure was completed in 1968 by architects Heikki and Kaija Siren on a site that previously held wooden dwellings and masonry buildings. Notably, the architects demolished the Wendt House, a 1903 stone residence designed by Gustaf Estlander, to make way for the new circular design.
This circular building represents a moment when Finnish architects believed that shape could improve how people worked and shopped together. The round form became so familiar to locals that it now defines the neighborhood's character in a way that feels simply normal.
The building sits directly next to Hakaniemi metro station and has easy tram connections, making it simple to reach by public transport. Various shops and services inside are open to the public most days, so visitors passing through the neighborhood can easily access what they need.
A steel ball sculpture called The Symbol, created by Hannu Siren (son of the original architects), has sat outside the building since 1985. Most passersby miss this modest artwork, yet it creates an unexpected visual conversation with the enormous circular structure behind it.
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