Sites & stories: Anna and KOP-kolmio
Paavo Foley
In this series, we take a glimpse at buildings that appeal to us at Archinfo – and tell a little about our staff in the process. This time, we will turn our gaze to Turku with our communications assistant Anna, where one of her favourite buildings is a 1960s commercial building with a distinctive edge.
Located by Turku's market square, simultaneously dominating and blending into the landscape, KOP-kolmio (KOP Triangle) has long fascinated me. One of the city's modern landmarks, it sometimes seems to provoke strong opinions, but to my own eye, its distinctiveness has always been appealing.
Completed in 1964 and designed by both nationally and internationally acclaimed architect Viljo Revell, the former bank building attracted attention for its unusual shape and framework. Revell had won an architectural competition organised by the bank, Kansallis-Osake-Pankki, with his project called Kolme koputusta (Three Knocks), but the final name of Turku's first shopping centre came from the name competition held the same year it was built.
Described in newspapers at the time of its construction as "Finland's most magnificent and modern bank building", KOP-kolmio housed, for example, Finland's first drive-through bank and an outdoor sliding staircase leading to the second floor banking hall – which, however, did not take the local weather conditions so well. The building has undergone a number of other changes during its life. For example, the street-level shopping corridors have been removed and then brought back, and the residential floor has been converted into office space.
I chose KOP-kolmio because the building beautifully encapsulates the ideals of the modern city and urbanism of its time. It stands in the rich and layered cityscape as a unique example of modern architecture. Its simple yet interesting shape and sharp angles, combined with its travertine façade and ribbon windows, never fail to impress me as I pass by.
Anna Rusi joined Archinfo as a communications intern in winter 2022, and after her internship she has continued in our team as a part-time communications assistant and project coordinator for the Finimalism project. Simultaneously, Anna has graduated with a Master of Arts degree from the University of Turku. The Finimalism project will conclude at the end of the year, after which we will have to say goodbye to our Turku-based reinforcement for now.
Read more about KOP-kolmio on Finnish Architecture Navigator.
