Senate Properties has signed a property transaction with Y-K Oy Finland for the former Architecture Museum building at Kasarmikatu 24 in Helsinki. The purchase price was €520,000.
The property is located in Kaartinkaupunki in central Helsinki. The building has a total floor area of around 2,000 m², of which around 1,150 m² is lettable area. The price corresponds to €452/m² of lettable area, or €260/m² based on total floor area.
The building was completed in 1899 and was designed by architect Magnus Schjerfbeck. It has served several uses over time, including as the House of the Learned Societies, a university gymnastics facility and, from 1982, the Museum of Finnish Architecture. Museum operations were concentrated in the Design Museum building from September 2025 as the new architecture and design museum project progressed.
The property is a strongly protected heritage asset. It is protected both in the local detailed plan and under a government decree. According to Senate Properties, the building has significant repair and investment needs in the coming years, which will become the responsibility of the new owner.
“We wanted to find new owners for this fine building who understand its cultural-historical significance. The property is strongly protected and has investment needs in the coming years, so the buyer needed to have a high-quality and credible plan ready. We found a good solution for all parties,” said Ella Sperling, Sales Manager at Senate Properties.
The buyer owns several properties in the Hämeenlinna and Riihimäki region, with a particular focus on historic buildings and their development. For the Kasarmikatu 24 property, the company sees an opportunity to bring the building into active new use while respecting its heritage and strengthening its role in Helsinki’s urban culture.
“A unique building opens exceptional opportunities for future use. The valuable setting, high halls and versatile spaces are well suited, for example, for a high-quality headquarters or office complex, representative and event use, dance and sports activities, cultural and exhibition use, as well as a meeting place for the creative industries. We are currently mapping operators for the property who value the historic environment and location in the heart of Helsinki,” said Petri Yrjö-Koskinen, CEO of Y-K Oy Finland.
The building has three above-ground floors, a mezzanine and a basement. Its interiors include rich decorative details, with the ornate staircase hall and banquet hall creating a formal historic atmosphere.