Art nouveau in Helsinki – architectural guide

Helsinki is a globally unique art nouveau city with its astonishing 600 buildings that represent this style – a number exceeding that of Barcelona or Brussels, to name a few. These architectural highlights are becoming increasingly popular amongst both tourists and the city’s residents. and the city’s diverse and multi-layered architecture invites you to take a stroll and share your pictures on social media.

For a long time, however, no printed guide on Helsinki’s art nouveau has been available to accompany excursions around the city. That is why Helsinki City Museum has created a practical guide to the city’s architecture, which makes it easy to find your favourites from amongst the cornucopia of art nouveau buildings and milieus.

The book contains a selection of nearly 200 sights. In addition to more popular monuments, such as the Pohjola Insurance Building and the National Museum, the guide includes a number of residential buildings, from the majestic stone-built blocks in Katajanokka to the mansions in Eira and wooden buildings in Vallila, as well as schools, churches, hospitals, and commercial and industrial buildings, all integral elements of Helsinki’s urban landscape.

The guide begins with an introduction to the birth and characteristics of art nouveau in Helsinki, the main designers and their backgrounds, and the elaborate features and decorative motifs that can be seen on the building facades. Old and new images paint an in-depth picture of art nouveau Helsinki’s past and present.

29 €