The top six entries in the Central Library architectural competition are displayed on touch screens in the city centre and online at keskustakirjasto.fi/aanesta from 23 March to 7 April. You can easily browse the entries and vote for your favourite. In addition, Helsinki residents can comment on the entries on the competition website. The public’s opinion will be presented to the panel of judges and published online. So far, we have received 726 votes. There is about one week left to participate. The competition entries and their scale models are on display in Meilahti Art Museum until 5 April (closed for Easter from 29 March to 1 April).
We are looking forward to receiving comments from city residents
Does one of the entries stand out from the rest and, if so, why? Which entry is the best fit for the cityscape at Töölönlahti Bay? City residents are welcome to convey their thoughts and ideas to us at the Central Library competition website. Some strong opinions have already been heard, such as the following: “The modern use of wood material creates a welcome contrast to the surrounding concrete buildings. Go Käännös!”, “The shape (of Kasi) pleases the eye and is a great fit for the location. It features elements of the Linnanmäki roller coaster, the starry sky and the waves of the sea: an excellent choice for Helsinki” or “We need this (LibLab) instead of the boring stability of basic Finnish decisions.”
Whether travelling on foot, by bike or on rollerblades – vote in the city centre
Voting on touch screens is easy – even with your mittens on. There are a dozen touch screens around Helsinki city centre. You can find them, for example, on Mikonkatu, in front of the Post House and Kiasma, between Kappeli and the Market Square, in the Paasikivi square, in front of Lasipalatsi and opposite the Swedish Theatre. The interactive voting on street screens was designed as a collaborative effort between Forum Virium Helsinki, Clear Channel and the City of Helsinki. Forum Virium aims to promote a more extensive plan for how touch screens could open up a new user interface for the city. Earlier this spring, the screens introduced the library’s e-book services.
What does the library of the future mean to city residents?
The Central Library project is based on the idea that more than architects’ pens are needed to create a new, functional library at Töölönlahti Bay: the opinions and needs of city residents are incorporated into the design process. We are interested in what city residents think about a new-age library. “For justifiable reasons, Helsinki has set out to find something wholly new, a model for future libraries. There are not many equivalent projects anywhere in the world, so we need to develop the concept ourselves. In this work, citizens are very welcome to share their ideas,” says Tuula Haavisto, Director of Libraries.
The discussion continues online!
- Vote for the competition entries at keskustakirjasto.fi/aanesta
- Comment on the entries on the competition website
- Central Library website, keskustakirjasto.fi
- facebook.com/keskustakirjasto
- twitter.com/keskustakirj, #kirjastonayttely
- Press images of the competition entries