The old stairwells were retained, and two new stairwells and lifts were built to meet the new use and exit requirements. Part of the fourth floor was connected to the third floor and the remainder was converted into the event centre's building services facilities. The second and third floors were converted into spaces for conference guests. On the first floor, a restaurant and bar for 450 guests were built, as well as facilities for maintenance and staff. The seaside windows were enlarged, and the old massive doors were replaced with new thermal-glass windows and doors made of steel. When the protected harbour warehouse L2, representing late classical industrial architecture, was transformed into an event centre, it naturally resulted in strict restrictions on changes to the façade and interior. Located in a breezy spot, the body of the high hotel is mainly made of concrete, but it has been stiffened with heavy, vertically-tensioned steel bars. In the new building, the same harbour and industrial construction look have been emphasised especially in the lobby,' Davidsson continues. Another issue was the event centre, located in the harbour warehouse, where we sought to maintain a very industrial look. 'Naturally, architecture springs to life during design, but in this case we had some very in-depth discussions about the architectural goals of the hotel. Buchardt and the Choice chain have a long-standing cooperation relationship, and Clarion achieved common goals. Aki Davidsson of Davidsson Tarkela Architects, who was the chief architect, describes the design work: 'In the case of Clarion on Jätkäsaari, the concept came from Arthur Buchardt, the investor of the project, who has built almost 20 hotels for his ownership in the Nordic countries. The main contractor for the project was a Norwegian contractor that had previously served Buchardt, HENT Ab, who established themselves in Finland with the project.
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