Premises of the Supreme Administrative Court

The Supreme Administrative Court has operated in several different premises during its long history. From 1809 to 1819, the economic division of the Senate of Finland operated in Tanner Richter’s House on Multavierunkatu in Turku. The building was demolished in the early 1960s.

From Turku to Helsinki

Since 1819, the Court’s premises have been located in Helsinki. Before the completion of the Senate House, the current Government Palace, in 1822, the Senate operated on rental premises. A total of 66 rooms were first leased for three years from two stone buildings owned by Councillor Etholén, the third floor of a stone building owned by merchant Weckman, and the second and third floors of the house of merchant Uschakoff. The economic division convened in Etholén’s house, which was located at the corner of the current Eteläesplanadi and Unioninkatu streets. The Senate moved into its own building in the autumn of 1822.

On Erottajankatu

After Finland gained independence in 1917, the economic division of the Senate was divided into the Government and the Supreme Administrative Court in 1918. In the same year, the Supreme Administrative Court moved to the building at the corner of Erottajankatu and Uudenmaankatu at the address Erottajankatu 2. The building later housed the Customs Administration.

In the House of the Supreme Courts

From 1934 to 1984, the Supreme Administrative Court had its headquarters in the House of the Supreme Courts at Pohjoisesplanadi 3. The Supreme Administrative Court operated on the top floor of the building, while the two bottom floors housed the Supreme Court. Today, only the Supreme Court operates in the building. The Supreme Administrative Court also had offices at Kaivokatu 12 and Kaikukatu 3. During the Russo-Finnish (30 November 1939 – 13 March 1940), the Supreme Administrative Court convened in Lapua at the Karhumäki Christian Folk High School. In the final stages of the Continuation War from 21 March to 13 October 1944, the second chamber of the Supreme Administrative Court worked in the village of Parkano.

Move to Kaartinkaupunki

In 1984, the Supreme Administrative Court moved to its current premises at Fabianinkatu 15 and Unionkatu 16 when they were vacated by Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company. The customer service of the Supreme Administrative Court, the courtrooms and the office premises are located in the building on Fabianinkatu, while the judicial staff work in the building on Unionkatu.

The Renaissance Revival building at Fabianinkatu 15 was designed by Waldemar Aspelin (1854–1923), built in 1901 and commissioned in 1902. The building originally served as the premises of the Helsinki Savings Bank until 1932. In addition to the bank’s headquarters, the building also housed the treasurer’s residence and leased business premises and apartments. The Finnish Broadcasting Company moved into the building in 1934. The building was called Radio House, and the broadcasting company’s studios were located there until 1981.

The Unionkatu 16 building was built for the Finnish Broadcasting Company during the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. Foreign press worked from the house during the games, after which the premises were used exclusively as offices by the Finnish Broadcasting Company until 1981.

Historically appropriate temporary facilities for the Supreme Administrative Court

The permanent premises of the Supreme Administrative Court in the Kaartinkaupunki district of Helsinki were renovated between 2021 and 2023. For the duration of the renovation, the Supreme Administrative Court moved to temporary facilities in Hakaniemi, Helsinki. These facilities were located at Paasivuorenkatu 3 in a building with a history similar to that of the Court’s permanent premises.

From 1906, the building on Paasivuorenkatu housed the Työmies (Worker) magazine and the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party. The building was demolished in the seventies. The current building, which was completed in 1981, held the premises of the Finnish Workers’ Savings Bank and later Nordea. The Finnish Broadcasting Company’s mini-series Sisäilmaa (Indoor Air), a dark comedy set in an employment office, was filmed in the building in 2020.

The building’s history of finance and journalism aptly reflect the broad field of activity of the Supreme Administrative Court in Finnish society. The Supreme Administrative Court is the court of last instance in matters concerning taxation, public access to documents, land use and construction, among others.

Return to Kaartinkaupunki

The Supreme Administrative Court moved back to its permanent premises in Kaartinkaupunki on 15 January 2024. In 2021–2023, the premises of the Supreme Administrative Court underwent extensive modifications and repairs managed by Senate Properties and carried out in close cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency.

The renovation was carried out with respect for the special features of the architecturally and culturally valuable historical building, while adapting the facilities to the requirements of work in the 2020s. In addition to the subtle conservation of the building surfaces, technical building services were completely overhauled and the buildings were connected to the district cooling network. The modernised facilities enable the use of new technologies and digital solutions in their offices and courtrooms.