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Domus Gaudium
Domus Gaudium
11, Leppäsuonkatu, Helsinki, Finland
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Domus Gaudium
11, Leppäsuonkatu, Helsinki, Finland
Domus Gaudium
Third Student Union Building
HISTORY
The Leppäsuo estate is the only ''City campus'' estate in Helsinki with a history dating back
to the 1940s, when the Student Union of the University of Helsinki initiated the building of
student houses. At the turn of the millenium, the constant increase in the number of
sudents at the University resulted in a lack of activity and assembly facilities. In addition to
the Student Union, the Helsinki School of Economics, which is located near the campus
and is part of Aalto University, was also looking for facilities in the area for needs of HSE
Executive Education.
The Student union of the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki School of Economics
joined forces in 1999 and started the design project of the Third Student Union Building in
the only available plot in the area, the corner of Mechelininkatu Street and
Leppävaarankatu Street. The Old Student Union Building and the New Student Union
Building on Mannerheimintie Road had been built in 1870 and 1910. The Third Studen
Union Building was completed in Leppäsuo in November 2008 and in the inauguration
seremony was christened Domus Gaudium, the House of Joy.
TOWNSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE
The eight-storey residential buildings in Domus Academica form an open block structure,
which is rather atypical of downtown area. As a two-storey corner building, Domus
Gaudium will integrate the block structure and serve as a pedestral for the vertical rhythm
of the point blocks. It has adopted its scale from the low-rise buildings on Mechelininkatu
Street.
In addition to its complementary role in the block structure, the aim has been to render
Domus Gaudium the expression of a symbolic building that it daserves on the basis of its
functions. Despite the small size of the building, it boasts two impressive entrances; the
more public entrance is on Mechelininkatu Street and the other on the Domus Square. Not
only does this facilitate the activies carried out in the building, it also reflects the two end-
user groups. The undersides and the wall surfaces of the lofty entrace shelters made of
steel structures are covered with copper sheets, which are illuminated at night. The groud-
level, cast-in-situ concrete surfaces have been adorned by sculptor Pertti Kukkonen with
flakes of copper. He has pre-patinated the concrete giving it a greenish colour.
The longest unbroken facade of the building on Leppäsuonkatu Street was realised as a
double facade. It shines like a latern at night reflecting the swift pace of student activities
and educational functions that often continue till late at night.
The third floor of the building is virtually invisible. A pavillion-type sauna department in the
centre of the roof area is called Civilisation. An almost 100 m2 roof terrace completes this
civiliced sauna floor.
INTERIOR
A partly 3-storey lobby extending from the entrance on Mechelininkatu Street to the
entrance on Domus square acts as the functional and spatial axis of the interior facilities.
The most dominating element of the lobby in terms of space is a body with rounded edges
floating on the level of the second floor. The form of this body, which contines two lecture
rooms, has been achieved with gypsum boards bent round the curved steel frame. This
form is illuminated downwards. It reflects light into the underground basement floor, which
contines facilities also included in the floor area of the building. The lobby connects these
facilities with walkways and stairs directly with the facilities located under the Domus
square courtyard and the basement of the nearby D-building. These facilities were also
renovated and converted simultaneously with the building project of Domus Gaudium.
Third Student Union Building
HISTORY
The Leppäsuo estate is the only ''City campus'' estate in Helsinki with a history dating back
to the 1940s, when the Student Union of the University of Helsinki initiated the building of
student houses. At the turn of the millenium, the constant increase in the number of
sudents at the University resulted in a lack of activity and assembly facilities. In addition to
the Student Union, the Helsinki School of Economics, which is located near the campus
and is part of Aalto University, was also looking for facilities in the area for needs of HSE
Executive Education.
The Student union of the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki School of Economics
joined forces in 1999 and started the design project of the Third Student Union Building in
the only available plot in the area, the corner of Mechelininkatu Street and
Leppävaarankatu Street. The Old Student Union Building and the New Student Union
Building on Mannerheimintie Road had been built in 1870 and 1910. The Third Studen
Union Building was completed in Leppäsuo in November 2008 and in the inauguration
seremony was christened Domus Gaudium, the House of Joy.
TOWNSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE
The eight-storey residential buildings in Domus Academica form an open block structure,
which is rather atypical of downtown area. As a two-storey corner building, Domus
Gaudium will integrate the block structure and serve as a pedestral for the vertical rhythm
of the point blocks. It has adopted its scale from the low-rise buildings on Mechelininkatu
Street.
In addition to its complementary role in the block structure, the aim has been to render
Domus Gaudium the expression of a symbolic building that it daserves on the basis of its
functions. Despite the small size of the building, it boasts two impressive entrances; the
more public entrance is on Mechelininkatu Street and the other on the Domus Square. Not
only does this facilitate the activies carried out in the building, it also reflects the two end-
user groups. The undersides and the wall surfaces of the lofty entrace shelters made of
steel structures are covered with copper sheets, which are illuminated at night. The groud-
level, cast-in-situ concrete surfaces have been adorned by sculptor Pertti Kukkonen with
flakes of copper. He has pre-patinated the concrete giving it a greenish colour.
The longest unbroken facade of the building on Leppäsuonkatu Street was realised as a
double facade. It shines like a latern at night reflecting the swift pace of student activities
and educational functions that often continue till late at night.
The third floor of the building is virtually invisible. A pavillion-type sauna department in the
centre of the roof area is called Civilisation. An almost 100 m2 roof terrace completes this
civiliced sauna floor.
INTERIOR
A partly 3-storey lobby extending from the entrance on Mechelininkatu Street to the
entrance on Domus square acts as the functional and spatial axis of the interior facilities.
The most dominating element of the lobby in terms of space is a body with rounded edges
floating on the level of the second floor. The form of this body, which contines two lecture
rooms, has been achieved with gypsum boards bent round the curved steel frame. This
form is illuminated downwards. It reflects light into the underground basement floor, which
contines facilities also included in the floor area of the building. The lobby connects these
facilities with walkways and stairs directly with the facilities located under the Domus
square courtyard and the basement of the nearby D-building. These facilities were also
renovated and converted simultaneously with the building project of Domus Gaudium.
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