History

History

From a Bank Training Centre to a Conference Hotel

Hotel Rantapuisto makes a striking impression: its impressive main building was completed in 1963 as a training centre for the Nordic Union Bank (later the Union Bank of Finland), set amid the natural surroundings of eastern Helsinki in an area of significant landscape heritage. The bank had previously acquired Villa Furuborg, a 1917 Art Nouveau villa on the grounds, which had served as the Rosenlew family’s summer residence.

The training centre’s basic design, with its pavilion-style floor plan and glass walkways linking the different sections, brings the surrounding nature and the building’s interior together as a unified whole. The architect couple Ragnar Ypyä and Martta Martikainen-Ypyä drew inspiration for the training centre from Alvar Aalto’s architecture (Ragnar Ypyä worked at Aalto’s architectural practice in the 1920s) and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark.

The highly rational, clean-lined architecture and the surrounding forested, rocky landscape form a harmonious whole. Every detail of the building has been carefully considered, with a refined finish down to the smallest detail. The building is a “total work of art”. A wide variety of wood species have been used throughout the interiors. The building still reflects the fascinating architectural features of its era: the complex comprises several wings and atrium courtyards, the spaces are large, and the spacious corridors are glazed from floor to ceiling. Several gems of the original interior also remain, including light fixtures, fireplaces and ceiling structures.

In the 1980s, banks’ training needs grew, and a new conference wing, auditorium and sports hall were built to better meet the increased demand. The recession of the 1990s and, ultimately, the merger of SYP with Kansallis-Osake-Pankki (KOP) to form Merita Bank reduced the need for training. During the 2000s, Rantapuisto began welcoming all interested accommodation and training guests as the Unitas Congress Centre and later as Kokoushotelli Rantapuisto. The hotel opened its doors under the Best Western international hotel chain in April 2014. On 22 August 2016, the hotel left the Best Western chain and continued to operate independently as Hotel Rantapuisto.