Cheers to the creative community
Business target
A commercially viable centre for city dwellers, companies and culture
Malski, an iconic landmark of Lahti, Finland, served as a brewery until 1998. Ever since, the massive historic premises have housed an art gallery and spaces for entrepreneurs, but there has been a never-ending list of ambitious overhaul proposals, such as turning the block into private apartments. The renovations didn’t come to fruition until 2018 when the new owner, Kielo, together with Kinos Property Investment and the Lahti Art, Poster and Design Museum, had joined forces for a new kind of financially feasible venture. The concept and brand design was to play a crucial role in ensuring that this time Malski would have its flourishing new lease of life.
Regaining the former glory
Formerly a place where renowned Finnish beers were brewed, the building was, for a moment, without a clear future. The history of Malski dates back to 1912. It was originally the site of the Mallasjuoma brewery, an icon and source of pride for the city.At the beginning of our work, there was a vision for a new kind of centre that could house a museum, concert hall, co-working spaces, office premises and restaurants. Our task was to facilitate a creative process, together with the key tenants, to lay the groundwork for a new shared mission for Malski. Our work would be realized in service and brand concepts, the visual identity and the interiors of the new centre.
→ Insight based user-profiles
→ Service concept
→ Brand concept
→ Visual identity
→ Interior design
Insight, strategy & service design
Made in Malski
As always, we brought together customer, market and organisational insight to create a solid foundation for our work. For example, we interviewed visitors to other culture centres and co-working hubs in Finland and Sweden. Building on these findings, we created motive-based target group profiles to understand user needs and expectations. At a Kuudes Concept Lab workshop, this understanding helped the team design a service concept that is truly meaningful for both visitors and the people of Malski. The mentality of working together became an essential part of the concept and “Made in Malski” is a proud statement for something that is born in the community.
Market benchmark
User-interviews & profiles
Stakeholde workshops
Motive-based user-profiles
Visual identity & interiors
Tap into the brewing culture
The Malski visual identity acknowledges the site’s heritage with a contemporary interpretation of vintage factory aesthetics. The unusual shapes reference old-fashioned brewery equipment, drawing parallels between the flow of liquid involved in the process and collaborative working. The rich colour palette is inspired by the building’s architecture and the tones found in beer – from light pils to moody dark stout. The result is playful and dynamic, much like the Malski community itself.
The bold brand identity is brought to life in the building’s interiors. Our team designed the restaurant space, general areas and co-working offices. We enhanced the characteristics of the rugged building and brought green and brown hues from classic beer bottles to the decor. The aim was to create a truly Malskian environment, while leaving room for the community to make it their own.
Video credit: Niki Soukkio
“The work by the Kuudes team was extraordinary. As you might expect from an old factory building, the project was truly challenging in many aspects. Still, we got a splendid result, and we are happy about the collaboration. The interiors and the visual identity, in particular, have received a lot of praise.”
– Arto Korhonen, CEO, Kinos Property Investment
