Helsinki

[Oberleutnant]

I will post request that is off topic : Could one of you guy make a thread in wich be some kind of virtaul/photo tour of helsinki . Because I have to confess that I don't know a think about Helsinki at all don't know nor the size of it nor the famous places or building nor the regions names so could you in lighten me please

Ačiū

Sure.

Helsinki's population: 560,000
Helsinki metropolitan region: one million


Here are photos what I've taken of Helsinki between 2004-2006.



There's one landmark building in Helsinki, which is easily the most famous of them all - the 19th century Lutheran Cathedral. It dominates the skyline from the sea.








Downtown business center of Helsinki


The parliament building and its front columns.




One of the primary hubs of shopping in downtown, the western end of Aleksanterinkatu (Alexander's street). The department store Stockmann is holding a spring sale.








Western side entrance of Eliel Saarinen's Art Decoish railwaystation.




The part of the year we all love -- right?




Street-level restaurant in a late 19th century building.





Helsinki Cathedral




Winter













Rain-swept late midweek evening in Alexander's street.








Underground shopping tunnel (dangerous place at night)




The old headoffice of the Pohjola insurance company with its castle-like facade and devilish stone figure.


Close-up











"City Center", considered by some as the ugliest building in the city due to its very dominant position opposite to the railway station. The massive building will get a 100 million euro renovation in few years.









Street performer




Busy street crossing.




The fence they had on this square for some renovation work was so dangerous (women got raped behind it at night) that they had to take it down earlier than planned.



Beans for sale.




Central railway station metro entrance.




Esplanade in the winter.




Esplanade in the summer.








Underneath the old 1930s "Glass Palace" building, probably the best-known example of functionalism / funkis in Finland.

[Oberleutnant]

Outside the downtown





Sibelius Monument from below. Overrated piece of artistical crap. What the tourists see in it, I fail to grasp.



Museum of design.




Sysopen Digia is a medium-sized systems design company. This is their headoffice at sunset.




The modern side of the 19th century district of Kruununhaka. The buildings belong to the University of Helsinki.



The old side of Krunununhaka











Southern Helsinki is among the oldest areas in the city -- these prewar buildings are rather new by its standards.








Töölö district, a pure example of 1920s city planning.




More Töölö.




And more




Wouldn't know this, too, was from Töölö had I not taken it. One of the few modern buildings there. It forms a half-circle.





Crisp late winter sunset in the Hietalahti shipyard.




Headquarters of the Finnish security police Supo ("Finland's FBI").



A street called Boulevard that streches out from the downtown to the newly-built Ruoholahti district . . .


. . . which can be seen here . . .


. . . and here.




Young people in a free open air concert concert.



Someone participating a "try climbing this wobbly ladder" contest in the concert area.


Itämerentori, the headoffice of the "think tank" Sitra, a wealthy foundation whose "activities are designed to promote the economic prosperity of the Finnish people"




Backyard of early 20th century buildings in the former workers quarter of Kallio. Commieblocks of their own time, more cheaply made than their counterparts in "better" districts.



Cars heading out of Helsinki.




They really need to start work on the Western Metro Line. It's been discussed since 1960s and with good luck the construction might start next decade. Until then, we're stuck with one line.









Art Nouveau, this time in yellow package.




A street in southern Helsinki, as seen from the top of a rescue station's tower.




Metro station entrance in Kallio.



Kallio again.



You guessed it right. Kallio again!



Some street near the downtown.




The crane in the background belongs to the Eastern Harbour, a cargo harbour that occupies a kilometer long narrow slot of the inner city area. It will be turned into residential/office district after 2008. The movie "Man Without Past" was set there.












Rooftops.



Eira, a fashionable early 20th century district where all the buildings are "manor"-esque, such as this one here



Another typical building in Eira. Apartment prices here go up to several million euros.




A statue in Eira




Of the several hundred Art Nouveau buildings in inner city Helsinki.




Another one





A dirty commuter railwaystation in northern Helsinki suburb basking in afternoon rain.



Art Nouveau disguising as "medieval building".



Rooftops of southern Helsinki.




A technical polytechnic





Agricola Church, one of the tallest structures in the city. During the war its noticeable spire was taken off, so that it wouldn't present itself as an obvious landmark for Soviet bombers.




People crossing a skyway in Pasila district.



My old apartment was in the building at the background. Built in 1913, its walls were at least half a meter thick and almost completely soundproof.




A beautiful rainbow as seen from my apartment.




It was one of those magical moments





I barely touched the suburbs and the surrounding cities, so this isn't very balanced thread. Maybe later.

[Whose Homepage]

O thank you so VERY much, OL!

Another trademark thread from you: generous, beautiful photo material and charming, informative commentary.

[Nedas]

Geat threat, Helsinki looks tidy and beautyful

[vytauc]

Thanks, Ober, well done

[UMBAS]

Kiitos todella kauniista kuvasta. Mina ei ole koskaan Suomessa, mutta mina voi siella kaikki nakea: kauniita kaduja, vanhoja taloja ja kiitos patsasta.

[Meier]

Impressive... There's no surprise why Helsinki is second nicest place to live in the world for me! Lovely city!

[Romas]

Thank you very much, Oberleutnant
Impressive photos

[Vaidas]

Amazing thread with beautiful pictures! Thanks, Toni!

My old apartment was in the building at the background. Built in 1913, its walls were at least half a meter thick and almost completely soundproof.

I guess the building standards were very different in England and Finland these days... My university accommodation building is also built ~100 years ago, but it has the worst soundproofing I've ever seen! To be honest, there basically is no soundproofing at all... (which is "just a tad" frustrating when drunk neighbours come home after a night out at 3.30 AM )

[Edd]

It looks like Helsinki is well planned (if we'll compare it to Vilnius then Helsinki is extremely well planned ). Great photos and comments, thanks Ober.

[In the Shadows]

Helsinki looks great! Very vibrant and very classical.

[Neregistruotas]

Aciu for your kind comments, although for SSCers many of the photos were probably "old stuff"! I really mean it, you’ve all been very welcoming here. It’s also great to see many familiar faces after a while. (Aciu is sadly the only Lithuanian word I know, although Jonas and blimey taught me how to properly pronounce a phrase involving male genitalia and sucking...) *ahem*



Here are few photos more of Helsinki, many of them taken today. No commentary this time.



@ UMBAS
Wow!




Makes you miss the summer, right?



Ascending the stairs of Central Railway Station metro


















Buildings in Vuosaari suburb, 15km east of city center.


A tall residential building under construction there



Old-style metro train leaving the suburb
















http://img500.imageshack.us/img500/5002/tori95mw.jpg

[John]

Old good Helsinki.

I remember my stay in Helsinki back in August 2003 where I was accompanied by Oberleutnant and Designwise. Perhps I should come back some day if I'll find cheap flights from London.

[Whose Homepage]

O wow, Oberleutnant!

Thanks for the further pictorial elaboration of this fine thread!

I'm afraid my own Lithuanian vocabulary doesn't go any further than aciu, either.

Familiar or not, I ALWAYS enjoy seeing your photos.

In this series, the red train in what otherwise appears like a b/w photo is particularly striking!

[In_between]

So colourful, it seems that Helsinki is the warmest place on the Earth! Very modern look and interesting mix of architecture styles. Finnish architects are well known in the world (for example, Eero Saarinen).
And, btw, you have a great filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki, he introduced me to Finland.

[tech]

Nice building

[Dzipas]

Thanks for those pictures of Helsinki. Great city!

[Oberleutnant]

Thanks all.

In Finland, many people hate Kaurismäki's movies because of their depressive atmosphere.


Here are some recent photos from today when the temperature was about +20 degrees. Fairly people-oriented stuff, taken with my old camera.





























Some older photos.

Office buildings by the sea.










Metro arriving



Nightclub entrance

[Whose Homepage]

Ober, you went to the capital on a beautiful day!

That's nice to see, people in T-shirts sporting sunglasses and licking ice cream ...

Thank you so much for keeping this thread alive! I surely enjoy looking at your photos.

[Vaidas]

wow, those hanging offices look really cool!

Are all of those photos made with Z2???

I am obviously doing something wrong then - I am often struggling to take decent looking pictures never mind quality shots like these...

Anyway, great series