From Helsinki with love 12.05.2017 – Posted in: Inspiration

Mother Nature seems to have forgotten Finland altogether. The last few weeks have been exceptionally cold – so cold that our famous weatherman recently burst into laughter in the middle of his daily forecast. Well, that’s Finnish spring for you, dear friends. Welcome to Helsinki, the city of warm hats, scarves and mittens in May. Should you seriously consider a visit to Helsinki, or should you be one of those fascinating freaks who collect guidebooks, we have quite a nice collection of books about Helsinki for sale at the moment.

For example, An Architectural Guide: Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa by architect Arvi Ilonen is an essential companion for every architecture tourist. We have two editions for sale: the original one published in 1990 and the updated one published in 2000. Both editions work excellently: facts and locations about buildings don’t keep changing from year to year, do they?

If you are more interested in contemporary city planning, a highly interesting professional book is Shorelines: Residential Areas by the Water which discusses the maritime, lakeside and riverfront character of the greater Helsinki region. The book was published in conjunction with an exhibition which was on display in the Museum of Finnish Architecture between 28 March and 27 May 2012. We have a small batch of these for sale, so grab yours before they’re gone. A similar speciality book is Art in the Little Parliament: From Wood People to Past Knights which showcases the artworks commissioned for the new annexe (Helin & Co, 2004) to the Parliament building.

For architectural historians, we warmly recommend the monograph of architect Hilding Ekelund (1893–1984). Ekelund designed several buildings around Helsinki, and his architectural career provides the key to many of the current features in the city’s architecture. A similar architect is Aarne Ervi, a true modernist, whose Töölö Library gives a wonderful sample of the rich modern tradition in Finnish architecture. For those of you who prefer to study the architecture of more contemporary buildings, an excellent photography book is Jussi Tiainen’s Helsinki Contemporary Urban Architecture which was published in 2002.  Tiainen is a legendary artist with his camera, so do take a look at his signature style and brilliant photos that really show off the beauty of buildings.

Speaking of photography, you might also like to take a look at our ‘proper’ books about Helsinki such as Helsinki Discoveries by Tim Bird (1987); Helsinki Light and Shade by Markku Piri and Jussi Aalto (1994); Värien ja tunnelmien Helsinki – A City Journal by Anne Roston Korkeakivi (1998); The Faces of Helsinki by Asko Salokorpi and Ilpo Okkonen (1999); or Storybook Helsinki and Beyond by Cody Douglas Oreck and Octavian Bâlea (2002). The newest and hottest one of these is, of course, The Helsinki Book by Marc Aulén (2016). It’s our bestseller and no wonder: Marc presents his home town beyond comparison.

Click this link and you will get the full listing of our current selection of books about Helsinki, or use the search on the shop page. Please do remember that we serve our customers globally, and if you have some special requests about you prospective book order, please feel free to contact us. We’re happy to serve you as it says in the post title: from Helsinki with love ♥.