Embassy of Finland in New Delhi Renovation | ALA Architects

Embassy of Finland in New Delhi Renovation | ALA Architects

Designer: ALA Architects

After a lengthy delay, the project was commissioned in 1980 and redesigned based on the original concept. The Embassy finally opened in 1986 with the large single expanse of the roof of the 1960’s design broken up into six separate lateral buildings around a central garden area. The sculptural roofs – the most significant architectural feature of the embassy compound – resemble the forms of the snowy Lake Kitkajärvi near Kuusamo, Northern Finland.

ALA Architects was commissioned in 2013 to design the renovation of this mythical masterpiece of Finnish modernism. The 2nd-phase renovation project that took just over five years to complete has brought the ingenious building complex back to its original glory. The first phase consisted of the transformation of one staff apartment building and the construction of one new gatehouse. The second phase comprised the renovations of the chancery, the ambassador’s residence, the technical center, sauna, two more residential buildings, the pool and one old gatehouse, and the construction of one new gatehouse and a gazebo with a small gym.

The aims of the project were to restore the original spirit of the design and repair the misguided maintenance efforts both indoors and outdoors, to revamp the existing reception and office facilities, and to improve the occupational well-being and living conditions of the staff members, the overall safety, as well as the energy efficiency and functionality of the buildings, also taking into account the harsh climate conditions and the air pollution in the area. The most notable changes to the original design are the transformation of one staff apartment building containing several small apartments into contemporary office facilities and a few larger apartments, and the demolition of a wall separating one of the buildings from the rest of the complex to better follow the Pietiläs’ idea about a united spatial mass. The addition of two new gatehouses outside the compound wall is the change that is the most visible from the street.