© Tuomas Uusheimo
BUILDING PROJECTS
OODI LIBRARY HELSINKI
Building a cultural bridge
Jack Wooler spoke to Antti Nousjoki of ALA architects about how Finland’s biggest library combines an inviting ‘bridge’ structure with shifting timber and glass facades
T
he new Oodi Library in Helsinki is a modern take on the building typology, offering residents and
visitors a host of publicly accessible functions over its three floors. Named after the Finnish word for ‘ode,’ the 17,250 m2
building
includes amenities such as a restaurant and cinema on its ground floor, 3D printing machines and games rooms on its second, and a traditional library reading space on its third, nicknamed ‘book heaven’ by the team behind the project.
The building was in part commissioned to celebrate the centenary of Finnish independence in 2017. While the main structure was built in time for the celebrations, this completion target was deemed too optimistic, and the library was instead fully opened a year later on 5 December 2018, a day before the country’s 101st birthday.
Now open to the public, the building displays a fluid geometry of curved, shifting lines. The design of the €98m project features
ADF MAY 2019
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36