Case Study

Scandic Grand Central Helsinki, a new life for an historical building

Image number 25 of the current section of Hotel Scandic Grand Central Finland of Cosentino USA

Location

Helsinki, Finland

Material

Silestone

color

Eternal Marquina

Application

Bar and kitchen countertops

End date

2021

Thickness

30 mm

One of the largest hotels in Finland

The former Finnish State Railways VR headquarters building, originally designed by Eliel Saarinen and completed in 1909, has been transformed into a Scandic Hotel. The building is strongly tied to Helsinki’s railway station, an important part of the cityscape as well as culturally and historically significant, as it served as the railway administration headquarters for almost a century. The design work on the hotel was exceptionally demanding. The building is protected under the Act on the Protection of the Built Heritage.

Representing Eliel Saarinen’s Art Nouveau style, the former Finnish State Railways VR headquarters building was renovated and expanded into an elegant hotel with almost 500 rooms as well as meeting and event facilities. The cultural and historical landmark’s demanding renovation and change of use was carried out in cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency and the city of Helsinki.

The renovation was an exceptionally demanding project. Protected parts of the building include its entire exterior and roofing, as well as its main lobby, main staircase and hallways, the longest of which is 159 metres long.

Image number 31 of the current section of Hotel Scandic Grand Central Finland of Cosentino USA

Silestone, between the elegance and the versatility

The building’s extension was built according to the design proposition from the architectural office Futudesign, which won an architecture contest for this project in 2017. The new extension completes the elegant hotel complex, which also includes a beautiful courtyard and an outdoor terrace for the restaurant.

A first-class classic meeting place in the heart of the city, the hotel’s Bar G provides a colourful and cosy oasis for relaxing. Customers can enjoy refreshing drinks and stylish cocktails from the bar’s elegant Silestone Eternal Marquina countertops.

The stylish restaurant inspired by classic European cuisine features stunning matte black Silestone Eternal Marquina kitchen countertops. These Silestone countertops offer an excellent combination of elegance, quality and resistance.