Turku, Finland: A 1940s factory that once anchored Turku's industrial history, and later served as university teaching space, is about to become a residential address instead. NCC and the Turku University Foundation have signed an agreement to convert the culturally protected Sanitas building into a modern rental housing complex, in a contract worth approximately €15.7m.
The existing building offers around 2,900 m² of space that will be converted into modern rental units, paired with a new extension of approximately 2,100 m² and an underground parking garage. Together, the project will deliver 75 rental apartments on completion. Construction begins in late September 2026, with completion scheduled for summer 2028, and the order value will be registered in NCC Building Nordics' third quarter 2026 results.
"Sanitas is a great example of the value a conversion project can generate. Combining modern housing needs with the preservation of cultural and historical values allows us to breathe new life into existing buildings, while safeguarding the area's historic character and supporting sustainable urban development," said Esa Lehmusvuori, Head of Department, NCC Building Nordics.
What deserves closer attention from developers weighing similar heritage conversions is how NCC and the Foundation structured the pre-construction phase. Rather than moving straight to build, the two parties spent the development phase jointly drawing up project plans, estimating costs, settling on implementation solutions and securing the right conditions before construction, work the release frames as essential to protecting both the building's structural framework and its facade while adapting the interior to modern residential standards. For developers eyeing protected industrial or institutional buildings elsewhere in the Nordics, that extended, jointly governed planning stage, rather than a conventional design-and-build sequence, may be the more replicable lesson here than the apartment count itself.
"Sanitas will be a distinctive residential property that respects its historical heritage in the heart of the rapidly developing Kupittaa district of Turku. We are delighted to be involved in developing this property together. The majority of its future returns will support the University of Turku and the research conducted there," said Mikael Luukanen, CEO, Turku University Foundation.
The project sits in Kupittaa, a district the Foundation describes as rapidly developing, with returns from the completed property earmarked to support research at the University of Turku, giving the scheme a funding purpose that extends well beyond the apartments themselves.
People mentioned
- Esa Lehmusvuori, Head of Department, NCC Building Nordics
- Mikael Luukanen, Chief Executive Officer, Turku University Foundation
Illustration: Sarc + Sigge Arkkitehdit Oy
Companies mentioned
- NCC, Nordic construction company converting the Sanitas building
- Turku University Foundation, project partner and future beneficiary of the property's returns
- University of Turku, research institution supported by the Foundation
- Sarc + Sigge Arkkitehdit Oy, architects behind the project illustration
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