Jari SimiläAlong Aleksanterinkatu in Helsinki stands the striking Pohjola Building, a hallmark of Finnish National Romantic architecture from the early 1900s. Designed by Gesellius–Lindgren–Saarinen, its fortress-like exterior is constructed from rugged soapstone quarried in Juuka.
The building’s most distinctive feature is its sculptural stone carvings—bears, pine trees, and expressive human faces—set into the façade. Created by Hilda Flodin (1877–1958), one of Finland’s first professional sculptors and a rare woman in the field at the time, they draw on imagery from the Kalevala and Finnish folk tradition.
After dusk, carefully placed lighting highlights the textures and makes the figures seem almost alive.
#Helsinki #Architecture #NationalRomanticism #Kalevala #UrbanNight
The building’s most distinctive feature is its sculptural stone carvings—bears, pine trees, and expressive human faces—set into the façade. Created by Hilda Flodin (1877–1958), one of Finland’s first professional sculptors and a rare woman in the field at the time, they draw on imagery from the Kalevala and Finnish folk tradition.
After dusk, carefully placed lighting highlights the textures and makes the figures seem almost alive.
#Helsinki #Architecture #NationalRomanticism #Kalevala #UrbanNight
