Helsinki Central Library Oodi

The Helsinki Central Library Oodi (Finnish: Helsingin keskustakirjasto Oodi; Swedish: Helsingfors centrumbibliotek Ode), commonly referred to as Oodi (lit. 'Ode'), is a public library in Helsinki, Finland, inaugurated on December 5, 2018. The library is situated in the Töölönlahti district next to Helsinki Music Centre and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Despite its name, the library is not Helsinki's main library, which is located in Pasila instead.[1]

Helsinki Central Library Oodi
Helsingin keskustakirjasto Oodi
Helsingfors centrumbibliotek Ode
Oodi in 2019.
CountryFinland
TypePublic library
LocationHelsinki
Coordinates60.1738°N 24.9381°E / 60.1738; 24.9381
Branch ofHelsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries
Collection
Size100 thousand books[1]
Other information
DirectorAnna-Maria Soininvaara
Websitewww.oodihelsinki.fi/en/
Map

History

A design competition in 2012 to build the library was won by the Finnish architectural firm ALA Architects and structural design by Ramboll Finland.[2][3] ALA Architects won the commission over 543 other competitors.[4] The library was planned to be a three-story building and to include a sauna and a ground floor movie theatre.[5] In January 2015, the Helsinki City Council voted 758 to launch the building project. The estimated costs of the new library was 98 million euros, of which the state agreed to pay 30 million in connection with the centenary of Finland's independence in 2017. The City of Helsinki budgeted 66 million euros for the building.[6]

On December 31, 2016, it was announced that the new library would be named in Finnish as Oodi and in Swedish as Ode (lit. 'Ode'). The library was built in the Töölönlahti district next to Helsinki Music Centre and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and inaugurated on December 5, 2018 on the eve of the Finnish Independence Day.[7][6][8]

Specially designed robots transport books to the third of the 17,200-square-metre (185,000 sq ft) area designated for books. The rest of the space is designed for meeting and doing.[4]

The National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) organizes regular archival film screenings at the Kino Regina cinema, located since 2019 in the Helsinki Central Library Oodi.[9]

Kansalaistori Square in front of the library, with Sanoma House and Kiasma on the right
The square in winter, with Parliament House and Helsinki Music Centre on the left


References

  1. "FAQ". Helsinki Central Library Oodi. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  2. "ALA Architects wins Helsinki library competition". Dezeen. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  3. "Helsinki Central Library to bring together people, stories and knowledge". Ramboll. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  4. Krueger, Alyson. "Where Libraries are the Tourist Attractions". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  5. Rosenfeld, Karissa (18 September 2014). "New Images Take You Inside ALA's Helsinki Central Library". ArchDaily. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  6. "State-of-the-art Helsinki library to showcase wooden architecture". Yle Uutiset. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  7. "New Helsinki central library to include sauna after all". Yle Uutiset. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  8. Rogers, Thomas (2018-12-06). "Helsinki's New Library Has 3-D Printers and Power Tools. (And Some Books, Too.)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
  9. https://www.oodihelsinki.fi/sv/kino-regina-tar-filmer-till-ode/
  10. Malminen, Ulla (30 November 2018). "Tervetuloa Oodiin". Yle. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
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