The Helsinki Central Library Oodi ( fi, Helsingin keskustakirjasto Oodi; sv, Helsingfors centrumbibliotek Ode), commonly referred to as Oodi (), is a
public library in
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. The library is situated in the
Kluuvi district, close to
Helsinki Central Station
Helsinki Central Station ( fi, Helsingin päärautatieasema, sv, Helsingfors centralstation) ( HEC) is the main station for commuter rail and long-distance trains departing from Helsinki, Finland. The station is used by approximately 400,000 peo ...
and next to
Helsinki Music Centre and
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Despite its name, the library is not the main library in the
Helsinki City Library
Helsinki City Library ( fi, Helsingin Kaupunginkirjasto, until 1910 ''Helsinki People's Library'') is the largest public library in Finland. Owned by the City of Helsinki, the library has 37 branches and a collection of about 1.56 million books. T ...
system, which is located in
Pasila
Pasila (; sv, Böle, ) is a part of Helsinki, Finland, that is both a central-northern neighbourhood and district, bordering the areas of Alppila to the south, the Central Park ( Keskuspuisto) to the west, and Vallila to the east.
Pasila is ...
instead.
History
A design competition in 2012 to build the library was won by the Finnish architectural firm ALA Architects and structural design by
Ramboll Finland. ALA Architects won the commission over 543 other competitors.
The library was planned to be a three-story building and to include a
sauna
A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...
(which hasn't materialised ) and a ground-floor movie theatre. In January 2015, the
Helsinki City Council
The City Council of Helsinki (, ) is the main decision-making organ in the local politics of Helsinki, Finland. The City Council deals with issues such as city planning, schools, health care, and public transport.
The 85-seat Council's members a ...
voted 75–8 to launch the building project. The estimated costs of the new library was , of which the state agreed to pay in connection with the centenary of
Finland's independence in 2017. The City of Helsinki budgeted for the building.
On December 31, 2016, it was announced that the new library would be named in Finnish and in Swedish. The name was selected from a pool of some 1,600 names proposed by the public. According to Helsinki Deputy City Director Ritva Viljanen, "Oodi" was chosen because it's easy to remember, easy to say, and easy to translate. The selection jury also did not want to name the new library after a person.
The library was built in the Töölönlahti district next to
Helsinki Music Centre and
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and inaugurated on 5 December 2018 on the eve of the
Finnish Independence Day
Independence Day of Finland ( fi, itsenäisyyspäivä; sv, självständighetsdagen) is a national public holiday, and a flag flying day, held on 6 December to celebrate Finland's declaration of independence from the Russian Empire when the Bols ...
.
Awards
In 2019, the
International Federation of Library Associations
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of people who rely on libraries and information professionals. An independent, non-governmental, not-for-pr ...
(IFLA) named Oodi as the best Public Library of the Year.
Services
Specially designed robots transport books to the third floor that has an area designated for books. The rest of the space is designed for meetings and events.
The National Audiovisual Institute (KAVI) organizes regular archival film screenings at the Kino Regina cinema, located since 2019 in the Helsinki Central Library Oodi.
Gallery
See also
*
Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries
*
Helsinki University Library
The Helsinki University Library () is the largest multidisciplinary university library in Finland. It was established on 1 January 2010. The Helsinki University Library is an independent institute of the University of Helsinki and open to all i ...
*
National Library of Finland
The National Library of Finland ( fi, Kansalliskirjasto, sv, Nationalbiblioteket) is the foremost research library in Finland. Administratively the library is part of the University of Helsinki. From 1919 to 1 August 2006, it was known as the ...
*
Tampere Central Library Metso
Tampere Central Library (Finnish: ''Tampereen kaupungin pääkirjasto'') is the main municipal library in Tampere, Finland. It is also known as ''Metso'' ('Capercaillie'), due to its resemblance to the bird, when viewed from above. The library ...
*
Turku Main Library
Turku Main Library ( fi, Turun kaupunginkirjaston pääkirjasto, sv, Åbo huvudbibliotek) is the chief branch of Turku City Library, located in the city centre of Turku, Finland. The library is approximately 8,500 m².
Old building
The Turku Ma ...
*
Seinäjoki Library
Seinäjoki Library (Finnish: ''Seinäjoen kaupunginkirjasto'') is the municipal public library of the city of Seinäjoki, in Finland.
Overview
Library provision in Seinäjoki first began in 1865, initially as an adjunct to the local church. By ...
References
External links
*
Concept designs and images of the upcoming Helsinki Central LibraryHelsinki Central Library project description
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Helsinki
Libraries in Finland
Wooden architecture
Wooden buildings and structures in Finland
2018 establishments in Finland
Libraries established in 2018