suomi  svenska  english

In 1893, the new head office of Suomi Insurance Company Limited, designed by Sebastian Gripenberg, was built at Ludviginkatu 10, at the corner of Erottaja and Ludviginkatu. The decorative painting on the building was carried out by the S. Wuorio Painting Company. The entire ground floor of the two-storey building was reserved for customer service and the first floor comprised the residence of the general manager. Special attention was paid to the presentability of the interior. When the building was introduced in the Teknikern magazine, it was written that the interior gave a significantly coherent and elegant impression. The panelled ceilings had been glazed with decorative patterns so that the grains of the wood were left visible. The wall panels were made of birch, but they were glazed to make them mahogany colour.

Decorative painter Fritz Hilbert from the S. Wuorio Painting Company restored the paintings in 1967. For a long time, the building served as customer service premises for Helsingin Sanomat. Currently the premises are in restaurant use.