From Ateneum to Oodi – Architectural highlights in Helsinki for the EU presidency guests

The additional programme for the presidency guests includes walking tours produced by the Museum of Finnish Architecture and a selection of architectural sites to see within a walking distance from the Finlandia Hall produced by Archinfo Finland at the Finnish Architecture Navigator.

As side programme for the guests and international media covering the top-level meetings, the Museum of Finnish Architecture has produced a series of architectural walks in the proximity of the central point of the meetings, the Finlandia Hall. The tour sites, as well as other great examples of Finnish architecture within a 15-minute walking distance from the Finlandia Hall, are included in the Highlights in Helsinki Centre selection we curated for the Finnish Architecture Navigator. The map-based web service enables DIY architectural visits for the presidency guests. The selection consists of 23 buildings from the 19th century up until today, within a perimeter drawn our by the Olympic Stadium and the Winter Garden in the north, the Rock Church in the west, the Stockmann Department Store in the south and Kaisa Library in the east.

Explore the Highlights in Helsinki Centre selection in Finnish Architecture Navigator through this link.

During the ongoing Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Finland aims to strengthen the EU’s position as the global leader in climate action. In the arrangements, Finland has in an unprecedented way taken into account the impact of international meetings on the environment. The meeting arrangements aim to minimise emissions caused by travelling between different meeting locations. During Finland's previous presidency periods, in 1999 and 2006, the meetings were arranged in 21 different locations all around the country. This year, all the presidency meetings are concentrated in Helsinki, at the Finlandia Hall. In addition, instead of handing out presents, Finland compensates the flight emissions of the presidency guests, and the additional programme is organised in locations accessible on foot or by public transportation.

Minimising the emissions of the presidency meetings sends out an important message to the European Parliament, which has an enormous carbon footprint resulting from the parliament being located in both Brussels and Strasbourg. The key objectives for Finland’s presidency, in addition to global leadership in climate action, are to strengthen the common values and the rule of law, to make the EU more competitive and socially inclusive, and to protect the security of citizens comprehensively. The European Parliament Presidency of the Council rotates in an established order among the EU Member States every six months. Finland’s third presidency period beginning on 1 July 2019.