Architectural treats in Helsinki

The architectural delights of Helsinki are many, with something to appeal to everyone from wonderful art nouveau apartments to modernist public buildings. One of the pleasures of a wander through the city was the frequency with which you could stumble across surprising architectural features, whether that be a stone owl (at the Finnish National Theatre) or a tree full of bears (at the Pohjola Insurance building).

One of the most delightful artistic flourishes I came across was a quintet of eagles guarding the doorway at the ‘Navigator’ building at Unioninkatu 12. The building was the work of Harald Leonard Neovius (1863-1930) an architect from Orel, Russia, who studied at the Polytechnic Institute in Helsinki. It was originally constructed in 1903-1905 and renovated in 1999.

Side view of one of the eagles incorporated into the design of the building at Unioninkatu 12

Front on view of one of the eagles guarding the doorway at Unioninkatu 12

There are many more to be seen across the city with over 600 buildings from the short lived era of art nouveau. It’s worth picking up the free art-nouveau map-guide from the Helsinki Tourist Office to help pin-point the best examples in the city. A trip to the Museum of Architecture also helped us to get an overview of the nordic architectural movements in Finland that give the city such a distinctive look.

It turned out to be a good time to be in Helsinki with a free exhibition ‘Helsinki has become a metropolis!‘ celebrating the life and works of Eliel Saarinen at Laituri, the Helsinki City Planning Department’s information and exhibition space on Narinkka Square. The exhibition runs from 1st June 2017 to 16th September 2017 and explores his legacy in Helsinki.

I can’t think of many buildings that capture Helsinki more than the central railway station, but the exhibition at Laituri was a great way to discover more of his creations and the designs that were to remain unrealised. The City Planning Department have also produced a rather splendid map-guide to help trace his work across Helsinki and we managed to tick off a few of these (including the Pohjola Insurance building and the National Museum).

Our wanders also took us inside the Academic Bookshop at Pohjoisesplanadi 39 which was the creation of Finland’s most famous architect, Alvar Aalto. It’s simply one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world.

Allas Sea Pool

As tempting as it is to focus on the past creations, there are some terrific new buildings going up around the city that deserve as much admiration. One of the most striking new additions is the Allas Sea Pool in the South Harbour which you really can’t miss on a wander down to the Market Square. I half regret not going for a swim there.

Helsinki is a city that rewards the eagle-eyed wanderer, ever alert for wonderful artistic details in the most surprising places. Nevertheless, I am sure that I still missed plenty and will have to come back to have a better go at this (in particular I need to get a look at the buildings around Katajanokka which I didn’t get a chance to wander on this occasion).

Gallery