Alvar Aalto sent in the entry ‘Casa’ to the invitational competition (deadline April 30, 1951) for this business building right in the heart of Helsinki. The client was the Finnish hardware dealers’ federation, whence the building’s name. Aalto’s plan won first prize and was used as the basis for implementation in 1952-57.

From the start, his main theme was a large interior light court behind an austere, copper-clad facade, which he sought to harmonize with the neighbouring building designed by Eliel Saarinen in 1920. Aalto, however, gradually had to pare away at his original vision of a Nordic counterpart to the ‘Galleries’ in Milan.

In the competition version, the covered courtyard with barrel skylights extended from first floor to the seventh, top storey, with five travertine-faced gallery levels suspended between them. The client, however, complained about lost office space. Aalto stubbornly held out for three gallery levels, but finally had to settle for two. With its Aalto-designed café for 120 people, its purling little fountain, and the surrounding exclusive boutiques (including Aalto’s own furniture company, Artek), this light court is one of the city’s most pleasent oases.

In the building’s regular squared facade of copper and glass, the display window axes of the two bottom floors correspond to the office window axes of the two top floors. The building is separated from its neighbours by visible red-brick fire walls. The light court is reached from the street level by a Venetian staircase with walls clad with ceramic tiles of various colours. Aalto first designed the organically formed bronze door handle, which is a hallmark of his later building, for the Rautatalo.

The building consists mainly of offices and the cafeteria on the covered courtyard is open for public.

Elissa Aalto participated to the design process after the competition phase.

More information on Alvar Aalto Foundation website.

Location

Keskuskatu 3, Helsinki
60.168412, 24.9432229

Images

Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Heikki Havas / Alvar Aalto Museum)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Maija Holma / Alvar Aalto Museum)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Alvar Aalto Museum)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Alvar Aalto Museum)
Ground floor plan, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Ground floor plan, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Alvar Aalto Museum)
Section, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Section, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Archinfo assistant)
Elevation perspective drawing, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Elevation perspective drawing, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Alvar Aalto Museum)
Interior perspective sketch, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House)
Interior perspective sketch, Rautatalo Office Building (Iron House) (© Alvar Aalto Museum)

More projects by authors

Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Koskikeskus Landscape and Urban Plan

  • Oulu
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Aalto Pavilion

  • Venice
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Alajärvi Youth Association Building

  • Alajärvi
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Detmerode Church and Parish Centre

  • Wolfsburg
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Church of the Three Crosses

  • Imatra
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Church of the Cross

  • Lahti
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

The Seinäjoki Defence Corps Building

  • Seinäjoki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Riola Church and Parish Centre

  • Riola
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

The Jyväskylä Defence Corps Building

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Nuora Building (alterations)

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Villa Karpio

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

National Pensions Institute Housing

  • Helsinki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Villa Skeppet

  • Tammisaari
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Standard Apartment House

  • Turku
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Casa Lauren

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Kantola House

  • Kotka
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Schönbühl Apartment House and Commercial Centre

  • Lucerne, Switzerland
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Paimio Sanatorium

  • Paimio
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Studio Aalto

  • Helsinki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Aalto-Hochhaus

  • Bremen
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Finlandia Hall

  • Helsinki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Villa Mairea

  • Noormarkku
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Säynätsalo Town Hall

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Alvar Aalto Museum

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Aalto University Harald Herlin Learning Centre

  • Espoo
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

National Pensions Institute

  • Helsinki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Aalto University Undergraduate Centre

  • Espoo
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Viipuri Library

  • Vyborg
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Muurame Church

  • Muurame
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Jyväskylä Workers’ Club

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Cross of the Plains Church (Lakeuden risti)

  • Seinäjoki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

University of Jyväskylä, the Aalto’s Campus

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Muuratsalo Experimental House

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Sunila Pulp Mill and Residential Area

  • Kotka
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Hansaviertel Apartment House

  • Berlin
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Aira Apartment Building for Railway Workers

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Aalto University Student Dormitory

  • Espoo
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Maison Louis Carré

  • Bazoches-sur-Guyonne
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Villa Kokkonen

  • Järvenpää
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

The Aalto House

  • Helsinki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Villa Tammekann

  • Tartu, Estonia
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Viitatorni

  • Jyväskylä
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Terraced House

  • Eura
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

House of Culture

  • Helsinki

Nearby projects

Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Stockmann Department Store

  • 100 m
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Argos House

  • 100 m
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Pohjola Insurance Company

  • 200 m