Tapestry Travels…. Helsinki
Having featured Helsinki and its subsurface masterplan in our book, Underground Urbanism (Reynolds, 2020), we were keen to see the city for ourselves. Helsinki didn’t disappoint – it is a charming city with an interesting history and progressive outlook.
By luck, our visit included the May Day holiday, which in Helsinki also marks the beginning of spring and the celebration of Vappu - a giant party not only for school leavers. Festivities begin on 30 April when crowds gather in the Esplanadi park to watch the Havis Amanda statue being washed by the local university students, before being ceremonially awarded a graduation cap at 18:00 – coinciding with many spectators also donning their own caps! Revellers then head off to bars, restaurants, and house parties for a night of celebrations that continue the next day with friends, families, classmates, and colleagues, all enjoying a picnic in the park, or perhaps a meal at a restaurant (followed quite often it seems, by karaoke). For about 48 hours you will see people of all ages wearing caps, streamers, funny hats and perhaps overalls. The overalls are worn by current and graduating students, with their colours denoting institutions and courses, with students customising them with an array of patches. It really is a uniquely joyful event, and it was great to see people in their 70s also donning caps as a reminder of their youth and achievements.
For a quieter activity, do visit the Temppeliaukio Church, it really is a truly unique piece of modernist architecture that the congregation has taken care to conserve. The church is carved into a granite outcrop, with only its domed roof visible from the surface.
Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki
The Amos Rex museum is fantastic and if you visit before 21 August 2022, it will also be possible to visit the exhibition Subterranean. It was amusing to see that the design of the museum (by JKMM architects) was so successful at illuminating the basement gallery with natural light captured through giant portholes, that they needed to be covered over to create the visual and psychological darkness that people expect of the underground.
Artwork by Tacita Dean at the Subterranean Exhibition, Amos Rex, Helsinki
The Design Museum and Architecture Museum are worth a visit – Alvar Aalto & Nokia are neither the beginning nor the end of the story. The museums will soon move to a new, consolidated museum in the harbourside Makasiininranta district.
It was uplifting to experience the varied, human scale architecture of Helsinki - although the buildings are almost entirely 6 – 8 storeys, there is visual interest in the fenestration, materiality, architectural form, and colour. The use of colour makes the urban landscape more engaging and in the dark winters it no doubt helps to provide a visual contrast – so too the illuminated street numbers above most building entrances. Many buildings in the historic centre of the city reflect the Jugendstil (Youth Style) of Art Nouveau architecture built between 1895 - 1915. Alongside the curved lines and natural motifs, many buildings have folkloric carvings in the facade. A great many of the original timber doors and windows are still in use – there are some wonderfully crafted and tactile moments when you visit these buildings, such as the large art deco wooden door handles at the Amos Rex Museum. The city also has some beautiful sign writing and neon signage to promote new and old landmarks.
Coffee:
El Fant - Katariinankatu 3, 00170 Helsinki
Johan & Nyström - Kanavaranta 7C-D, 0016 Helsinki
Kaffa Roastery - Pursimiehenkatu 29, 00150 Helsinki
Eat:
Muré - Korkeavuorenkatu 4, 00150 Helsinki
Levain - Pursimiehenkatu 29-31, 00150 Helsinki
Penelope - Mikonkatu 9, 00100 Helsinki
Stay:
Hotel Fabian - Fabianinkatu 7, 00130 Helsinki
Moving around:
The city centre is easy and safe to navigate on foot – with many places of interest within a 15-minute walk.
If you download the HSL app you can purchase tram and train tickets without needing to visit a ticket machine.
A Helsinki Pass is available that wraps together public transport and visitor attractions such as the design museum.
Sauna:
If you make it to Helsinki, absolutely try a sauna, not only is it an important part of Finnish culture, but it is beneficial for your health. Try Löyly – in a striking wooden building, set on the waterfront you can choose from three saunas (one with smoke) and even take a dip in the Baltic for an invigorating contrast to the heat (yes it was April, yes we did, and yes it was rather!)
Vappu crowds in Helsinki
Designed by brothers Timo Suomalainen and Tuomo Suomalainen in 1961, the rough-hewn rock walls contrast with the minimalist lines of the interior and despite being below ground level, the roof structure provides ample natural light. Regardless of your faith, it is also a place that encourages peaceful reflection through design.
View from basement level at the Amos Rex Museum, looking to installation of The Nest by Tadashi Kawamata
Ideas to Export:
Refundable deposits encouraging people to recycle cans and bottles - made convenient with reverse vending machines at supermarkets, and at an attractive price point of around €0.20 for a plastic drinking bottle, recycling rates are 90 – 97%. In addition to households getting a rebate on their purchases, people collect discarded bottles and cans for the rebate, with extra incentives such as cinema tickets for heavier bottles like champagne – more than a few of which were enjoyed during Vappu!
