Töölö Library, Helsinki

Designed by architect Aarne Ervi, a prominent figure in Finnish modernism who worked with Alvar Aalto, the Töölö library was completed in 1970. The gentle curve of its main facade faces Topelius park in the Taka-Töölö district of Helsinki, a neighbourhood established in the early 20th century at a time of rapid population growth.

Ervi’s original project encompassed an entire city block and combined multiple services: library, post office, police station, shopping centre, hotel and office tower huddled around a plaza. Only the library made it to completion, relocated to the park’s edge. Rather than simply shifting his design to the new location, Ervi adapted it to conform to the park layout. Making up for the almost windowless street-facing sides, the gentle curve of the facade that faces the park is nothing but large windows. A balcony and brise-soleil prevent direct sunlight from illuminating the reading room too harshly.

Like many of his contemporaries, Ervi didn’t limit his work to the architecture of the buildings he was tasked with, but also conceived the interior decor and furniture. Aware that the library needed to appeal to all ages, Ervi took care to include playful designs, like a staircase resembling an eye and the benches in the music room shaped like oversized ears.

Mustonen Architects renovated the library in 2017, a process that combined a respectful restoration of the original Ervi designs with adapting the premises to current needs. More spaces were opened for public use and equipment was modernized. The music section, which was the first in the country when the library opened, is still popular with patrons today and was further expanded.

The images shown here are from March 2019.

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