Strengthening and underpinning of the foundations of The Ministry of Employment and the Economy buildings in the capital Helsinki (formerly Ministry of Trade and Industry) was realised in several stages; first in 1981-83 for the building at Alexander Street No. 4, and furthermore, in two separate stages for buildings No. 6 and No. 8...10 of the same street (1985-91). For the purpose of this article the scope will be limited to the structural renovations at No. 4 and 6. The buildings were built in the 19th century, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, and most were planned by famous architects of the time. They are located in the heart of what constitutes the Neoclassical architectural ensemble of Helsinki, and each one of them has a unique character and particular history.

Because of the high vehicle traffic near the buildings, the foundations had to be strengthened since they are partly lying on layered silty sand / silty clay, and partly on moraine or rock. In the initial stages of the work, underpinning was realised for a new basement for the building at Alexander Street No. 4, as well as for lowering the existing basement floor in other parts of the structure. Some years later, the project was significantly enlarged and some parts of bedrock were blasted away for the newly planned archive space, also extending underneath the premises of Alexander Street No. 6. The work covered design of temporary and permanent structures (steel and concrete), geotechnical and structural design of the foundations, blasting design, as well as the design of all concrete structures from basement up to the ground floor.