Oodi, The Library of the People
As the world’s most literate nation, it is only fair that the Finnish have the most functional and beautiful libraries in the world.
This new public library, inaugurated only in December 2018 is more than just books. It serves as a reminder of the Finnish Library Act mandate to promote lifelong learning, active citizenship, democracy and freedom of expression.
In summer at Kansalaistori square where the library is located at, Finnish teenagers were skating and practising their dance routines. When I arrived, it was immediately obvious that Oodi is not merely a place to read, but also a supercharged, safe and beautiful active public space, inside and outside.
This library’s facade is a sweeping 33mm thick Finnish spruce timber plank. The inside is … well, even mind-bogglingly cooler. While the first floor is mainly for entrance, the second floor known as the “Attic” is where you do anything but reading. It has gaming rooms, recording rooms, as well as flexible rooms and multi-function rooms designed to accommodate both noisy and quiet activities — which you can book for kids birthday parties!
Here also lies the maker space — an open plan workspace with two-screen computer workspace to support creative digital works (as a designer, I can personally testify to increased efficiency when working with two screens), urban workshop for cutting and sewing, plotters for large format printing, t-shirt and fabric printers and low and behold, 3D printers. Best part is that when you use this facility, you only pay for the materials. When I was there, there was even a small interactive gaming exhibition showcasing games created by Master students of Game Design and Production of Aaalto University. Did you know that Angry Birds was created in Finland?
Despite its nickname “book heaven”, books really only fill 1/3 of the third floor of the library. The remaining 2/3 is occupied by a cafe, restaurant and public balcony from which you can enjoy an unobstructed panorama view of the city centre.
If you find yourself in Helsinki during a fine sunny day, head out to this public balcony and find the Parliament House straight opposite. As the Afghan-Finnish Deputy Mayor for culture and leisure in Helsinki, Nazima Razmyar said, “There is no other actor that could stand in front of the grounds of democracy like the public library does … It’s remarkable that when standing on the open balcony of the library, people are looking straight into the parliament and standing on the same level”.
On this same top floor, the sweeping curved surface at both ends makes a perfect play area for children. The no-shoe-zone rugs are designed with Estonian legends in mind. It is a public space for elderlies to meet as well as for many moms and dads to take their young children to spend the day (in addition to 54 day paternity leave, Finland offers parental leave which can be taken by either the mother or father of the child).
When you finally need a rest after absorbing all the awesomeness a library can hold, you can go and sit in the soft orange resting cocoon called The Pumpkin. Manned by 50 human staffs and 3 robots, this library was clearly a result of successful experimentation within Finnish libraries to offer services in addition to loaning books.
The story about how the library came to fruition is a story of a highly functional civic democracy. I asked the library tour guide how the architects and institutions came up with deciding the facilities they needed to cater to (how do you know you need The Pumpkin, for example) and whether there was a specific study they referred to. Her answer demonstrates a classic Finnish pragmatism, “ We just asked the people in Helsinki what they wanted “. So much so that sauna was apparently considered but didn’t make the final cut.
The Americans whom I shared the tour group asked how Helsinki came to have such a cool library, to which the guide answered: “Pay your taxes”. FYI, Finnish Personal Income Tax Rate stands at 51.6% while US Federal Tax Rate at 10% to 37%. Fair enough.
This post is part of the Europa series, which shows more than just the historical Europe.1. 24 Hours in Helsinki
As the happiest country in the world two years running, they must be doing something right. Let’s find out in 24 hours2. Berlin's Top 16
A cut-throat shortlist for a multi-sensory city with too many things to do, see, eat, and listen3. Welcome to Tallinn
Europe’s most underrated city
