Varma Office is situated in Salmisaari, which is an old, historically valuable industrial area in Western Helsinki. The location of the building is very upfront as it is part of the city’s seaside silhouette, right next to Länsiväylä motorway. The office building designed by Tuomo Siitonen, was completed in 2009.

The massiveness of the brickwork and the light glass structures of the building form a counterbalance to the horizontal lines of the motorway. The whole exterior of the building is characterised by the tension between brick and glass and even the tile-coloured metal sunshades are made to appear as individual objects on the facade. The building’s interiors open to differing views. Inside the building the scale is smaller and detailed, which also creates a contrast to the exterior. The main material used inside is wood, which gives warmth to the inside atmosphere.

The open workspaces form a sea-view office facing the Gulf of Finland, while workrooms are mainly situated on the mainland side.  On the boulevard level there is an airy, spacious employees’ restaurant accessible to the outdoor terrace. The terrace also functions as a breakroom and is joined with an outdoor auditorium.