Designed by Juhani Maunula of Brunow & Maunula Oy, Domus Gaudium is a two-storey corner building that completes the spatial composition of the Domus Academica block. Its low, elongated form acts as a horizontal counterbalance to the surrounding eight-storey residential towers, functioning almost like a pedestal that anchors their vertical rhythm. At the same time, its scale harmonises with the lower buildings along Mechelininkatu, enabling it to blend into the streetscape while retaining its distinctive architectural character. Shaped like a slanted L, the building follows the shape of the plot. Although modest in size, the building has a symbolic presence that is fitting for its communal functions.
Along Leppäsuonkatu, the building’s longest façade is a double skin which creates a soft, lantern-like illumination at night. This transparent, layered façade, made of Pilkington Suncool™ 70/40 high-performance solar control glass, conveys the energy and continuous activity inside, where student events and educational programmes often extend into the late hours. Above the main volume, the third floor is deliberately discreet and hidden, except for a pavilion-like sauna complex at the centre of the roof.
Built by the Student Union of the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki School of Economics Support Foundation, Domus Gaudium is the student union's third student house and was inaugurated to mark its 140th anniversary in November 2008.