“Job satisfaction is such an important issue that we hired dSign, an international-class interior design firm, to design Aller’s facilities and work processes for us. We no longer co-operate between departments but work responsibly together in the best possible conditions, ”says Pauli Aalto-Setälä, President and CEO, in his book ‘Disruption – Disruption in Management and Platform Economy’.

Media House Aller ended up moving its office from Punavuori to Sörnäinen. Expectations for inspiring facilities were high but schedule and budget tight. Aller chose dSign as its partner because it had evidence of the success of similar projects.

Despite the tight schedule, the ideation and functionality workshops led by dSign, which are part of our office’s design process, were intended to be held and proved to be crucial to a successful outcome.

In terms of functionality, the challenge was created by the location of the premises on two isolated floors. For the sake of communality, it was decided to break down the stairs between the floors, which were named Paul’s stairs after the CEO. 

The communality of the multifunctional spaces was emphasized by investing in a large heart space common to all, which enables both planned and random encounters. Instead of workstations and screens, seating and table groups suitable for many different types of work were created in a large open space. The attraction of the space is, of course, the kitchen-like coffee spot, and its eye-catching feature is the handsome Hennigsen Artichoke lamp from Aller’s old premises. The heart space was designed to be flexible in transformation, so that in addition to active everyday use, it is also suitable for larger personnel information and opening-type party use.

The interior design inspiration developed in the ideation workshops was finally taken from Korkeasaari, Helsinki Zoo, which you can also see from some of the office’s windows. Each meeting room was given a different look with its own wild wallpaper. The plant elements placed in the spaces were a natural part of the chosen theme.

Despite the abundantly colorful look pleasing to Aller’s employees and the extensive structural changes to the facilities, the project stayed on budget and on schedule thanks to skilled design and efficient project management. The total duration of the project was only half a year.