New address: Orionintie 1

During the 1970s, the Orion head office in Helsinki becomes hopelessly old-fashioned. The pharmaceutical plant has already moved to Espoo, in the 1960s, and employees must spend time commuting between two locations.

The new town plan for the plant area in Espoo is confirmed at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s, and one of the two plots owned by Orion is reserved for an office building. This enables the company to make one of its long-term dreams come true, as its new address will be impressive: Orionintie 1, or 1 Orion Road.

The new head office is completed in February 1984.

A special issue of Pulveri magazine takes a look at the new facilities before the move: “The new building is 80 metres long and 70 metres wide. Located on the third, fourth and fifth floors, the office facilities are very nice and functional. The first and second floors have high-quality facilities for guests. There is even a separate lift for documents.”

The new building also has state-of-the-art facilities for special requirements, including a photo lab for the advertising department. Banking services are available to make employees’ daily lives easier, with a branch office being open two days a week.

The new head office has an automatic air-conditioning system, and Pulveri also sheds light on the interior design: the main colours are different shades of brown and pure white. Most offices have fitted carpets.

“For reasons related to appearance and for financial reasons, the new furniture must be consistent. Excessive variety must be avoided,” the magazine points out.

Pictured here is the lobby of the new head office. The floor and the stair treads are made of Finnish granite, and the materials used on the walls are granite and copper.