Timeless light architecture and adaptable dynamics
The lighting of Supercell’s new eight-story headquarters is a combination of timeless light architecture and adaptable dynamics. Light creates a calm, understated atmosphere, enlivened by fictional artistic light installations. The design was based on Supercell’s values and the wishes and needs of its teams.
Information
LIT Awards 2022 Winner
Type Interior Lighting
Location Helsinki
Completion Year 2021
Client Supercell
The new eight-story headquarters of the global mobile game company Supercell Oyj is located in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, and is part of the Woodcity block. The design was based on the practical daily life and ideology of Supercell employees. The success of the solutions is reflected in job satisfaction. The atmosphere of the spaces is characterized by quietness and concentration. The game is the core; everything else supports it.
Office Space Lighting
In office spaces, light indirectly highlights surfaces. The lighting is subtle and restrained; quiet. In the morning, it is cooler and more intense. As evening falls, the warmly lit pilasters on the exterior walls create a campfire-like atmosphere, contrasting with the Helsinki cityscape visible through the adjacent windows.
Lobby Lighting
The lobby showcases unique wooden architecture, dramatically highlighted by light. During the day, the general lighting is brighter; as darkness falls, the light dims, and the lobby also becomes part of the streetscape. Game characters highlighted by light communicate the company’s identity. The warmth of wood and the coolness of concrete create a tasteful combination.
Staircase Lighting – Atrium
The atrium opens from the cafe floor, with a staircase leading to the office floors and the top restaurant and auditorium floor. The fictional appearance of the atrium, created by lights, is like the heart and soul of Supercell. Abstractly transforming hues and slow movement give space to imagination. Imperceptibly, the light transforms according to seasons and times of day, always appearing different.
Unique Hexagon Light Ceiling
The Hexagon lighting on the top floor illustrates the company’s core ideology: cells. The moving and living light of the Hexagon symbolizes the birth, merging, and separation of cells, their beginning and end. It is guided by daylight, as well as wind strength and direction. The Hexagon lighting can also be integrated and programmed as part of the AV system used for various events. The basic lighting is discreet accent lighting.
Lighting in the Cityscape
In the cityscape, the Hexagon communicates dynamism and the gaming company’s presence without the need for advertising. The building’s facade is also lightly illuminated, but the moving and transforming Hexagon visible through the windows of the top floor takes center stage in the streetscape.
Lighting Principle for Other Spaces
The flexible basic lighting solution is primarily based on the same technology across all floors. Magnetically attached, glare-shielded LED spotlights are easy to move and feature zoom optics. Traditional general lighting is only found in meeting rooms, team spaces, and other office areas. Other illuminated team-specific facilities include a gym, daycare, sauna department, and parking garage. When entering rooms, lights turn on and can be easily adjusted with a wall switch. Color temperature can be manually adjusted from the basic setting: cool with daylight and warm in darkness. When leaving rooms, the meeting rooms remain in a blue ‘waiting’ light mode.
Overall Lighting Concept
The overall concept is an example of boldly questioning lighting traditions and trends. Light is part of the architecture, and before that, it is part of the values and lives of the space users. The lighting solution provides elements that the end-user can endlessly develop.
Developer: Supercell
Main and Architectural Design: Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit
Interior Design: Firm 151, Futudesign, Fyra, Pinata, AOA
Lighting Design: Valoa design
Design and Custom Lighting: Tunto lighting
Lighting and AV System Design/Implementation: Audico Systems
Main Contractor: SRV Rakennus
Electrical Design: Sweco Talotekniikka
Presentation Technology Consulting: Akukon
Photos: Kuvatoimisto Kuvio, Aatu Heikkonen/Inspiroiva Creative, Valoa design
