Töölö (; , formerly spelled ''Thölö''
) is the collective name for the
neighbourhoods
A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...
Etu-Töölö () and Taka-Töölö () in
Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
,
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. The neighbourhoods are located next to the city centre, occupying the western side of the Helsinki Peninsula.
Etu-Töölö, the southern neighbourhood, borders
Kamppi
Kamppi () is a Subdivisions of Helsinki#Neighbourhoods, neighbourhood in the centre of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The name originally referred to a small area known as the "Kamppi field" (see below), but according to the current official d ...
and is the location of the
Finnish Parliament House. Taka-Töölö, the northern neighbourhood, borders
Meilahti and
Laakso, and is the location of the
Helsinki University Central Hospital
Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH; ; ) is a hospital network in Finland. It is one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It encompasses 17 hospitals in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, and has all major medical specialties represented. The HUCH ...
. Contrary to popular belief, Töölö is no longer an official name of any district or neighbourhood in Helsinki; in 1959 Töölö was divided into Etu-Töölö and Taka-Töölö.
Overview

Töölö was built in its present form, for the most part, in the period between 1900–1930 during an era of rapid expansion with the aim to provide appropriate accommodation to a growing bourgeoise population. It was the site of the first ever town planning competition in Finland in 1898–1900. Three entries were lifted out for recognition; first prize was awarded to architect Gustaf Nyström (together with engineer Herman Norrmén), second prize to architect
Lars Sonck
Lars Eliel Sonck (10 August 1870 – 14 March 1956) was a Finnish architect. He was a prominent figure in early 20th-century Finnish architecture, known for his role in developing the National Romantic and later Nordic Classicism movements in ...
, and third prize to a joint entry by Sonck together with architects Bertil Jung and Valter Thomé. Nyström's scheme represented classicism with wide main streets and imposing public buildings arranged in symmetrical axial compositions, and the other two entries following two picturesque theories of town planning proposed at that time by Viennese city planner
Camillo Sitte, with the street network adapted to the rocky terrain and with picturesque compositions. Undecided what course of action to take, however, the City Council asked the prize-winners to submit new proposals. When this led to further stalemate Nyström and Sonck were commissioned to work together on the final plan combining Nyström's spacious street network and elements of Sonck's Sittesque details. The final plan (1906) under the direction of Jung, made the scheme more uniform, while the architecture is seen as typical of the
Nordic Classicism
Nordic Classicism was a Architectural style, style of architecture that briefly blossomed in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) between 1910 and 1930. The style was also known as Swedish Grace architecture in Sweden.
Until ...
style. A typical street in the plan is that of Museokatu, with tall lines of buildings in a classical style along a curving street line. A still wider (24 metres) new tree-lined boulevard was that of Helsinginkatu, driven through the working-class district of
Kallio, first outlined in 1887 by Sonck, but with further input from Nyström, and completed in around 1923. However, despite these wide streets there are also several Sitte-inspired picturesque streets and squares, most notably Temppeliaukio square (in the centre of which is the
"church in the rock").
Töölö has always been the most respected as a place to live, but the prices of apartments are high, especially in Etu-Töölö. In Töölö, the marketing times for apartments are clearly shorter and the prices per square meter are therefore higher than in the rest of Helsinki on average, which speaks of abundant demand. A square of living in Töölö costs about €8,000, which is close to the price level of the second most popular district,
Lauttasaari
Lauttasaari (; ) is an island in Helsinki, Finland, about west of the city centre. Together with some surrounding unpopulated small islands, Lauttasaari is also a district of Helsinki. With 23,226 residents as of 2017, the island is Finland's se ...
, but clearly less than in
Ullanlinna
(; ) is a city district of Helsinki, in Finland. The name ''Ullanlinna'' () refers to the fortification line that was built at the southern edge of the area during the 18th century (no longer visible), as part of the town fortifications, which al ...
, where a square of living costs closer to €10,000.
Töölö is also known for its functionalist architecture, notably around Taka-Töölö. There are many parks, including Hesperia Park
[Hakasalmen ja Hesperian puistot - puistohistoriallinen selvitys](_blank)
(in Finnish) on the Töölö Bay and also
Sibelius Park, named after composer
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic music, Romantic and 20th-century classical music, early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his countr ...
and containing a
monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...
in his name. Töölö also has a vibrant cultural life, being the location of the
Finnish National Opera
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (; ) is a Finnish opera company and ballet company based in Helsinki. It is headquartered in the Opera House on the coast of the Töölönlahti bay in Töölö, which opened in 1993, and is state-owned throu ...
, the
National Museum of Finland, Kunsthalle Helsinki, the Zoological Museum, Töölö Library, and many small galleries and bookstores. With the
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...
,
Sonera Stadium, the
Sports Hall and the
Ice Hall, all within walking distance from each other, Taka-Töölö is also a significant neighbourhood for sport life in Helsinki.
Notable people
*
Eeva-Kaarina Aronen (1948–2015), author and journalist
Notable sights
*
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
*
Temppeliaukio church
*
Kristuskyrkan Swedish church
*
The National Museum of Finland
*
Finlandia Hall
The Finlandia Hall is a congress and event venue in the centre of Helsinki on the Töölönlahti Bay, owned by the City of Helsinki. The building, which was designed by architect Alvar Aalto, was completed in 1971. Every detail in the building i ...
*
Finnish National Opera
The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (; ) is a Finnish opera company and ballet company based in Helsinki. It is headquartered in the Opera House on the coast of the Töölönlahti bay in Töölö, which opened in 1993, and is state-owned throu ...
*
Helsinki Olympic Stadium
*
Hietaniemi Cemetery
*
Cafe Regatta
See also
*
Kluuvi
*
Töölöntori
References
Gallery
File:Töölö from air.jpg, Töölö from air.
File:Toolonlahti.jpg, View from the south shore of Töölönlahti bay.
File:Lastenlinna01.jpg, Lastenlinna ("Children's Castle") hospital (1948) by Elsi Borg et al.
File:Toolo church-Helsinki1.jpg, Töölö Church (1930) by Hilding Ekelund.
File:Temppeliaukio Church 1.jpg, Temppeliaukio Church (1968) by Timo & Tuomo Suomalainen.
File:Helsinki Olympic Stadium from air.JPG, Looking east towards Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
File:Sibelius park3.jpg, Sibelius Monument (1967) by Eila Hiltunen
Eila Vilhelmina Hiltunen (22 November 1922, Sortavala – 10 October 2003, Helsinki) was a Finland, Finnish sculptor. She is most famous for the Sibelius Monument (1967). A statue by Hiltunen resembling a smaller version of the Sibelius Monument s ...
, in Sibelius Park.
File:KristusKyrkanHelsinki.jpg, Kristuskyrkan Swedish Methodist church (1928) by Atte V. Willberg.
File:Panorama, kristuskyrkan, töölö.jpg, Töölö Bay
File:Kaksi_Karhua.JPG#/media/File:Kaksi_Karhua.JPG, Kaksi Karhua Statue, detail. (1921)
File:Kaksi Karhua (both).JPG, Kaksi Karhua (both) (1921)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toolo
Neighbourhoods of Helsinki
Kampinmalmi district