Tapiola Library, part
of Espoo city libraries, completed in 1989 (and designed by Arto Sipinen), had
me feeling humbled and awestruck. Grand in its minimalism, and fluid in its
functionality, the Cultural centre, which the library heralds to being a part
of (as it should), was designed as a continuation of the style of Alvar Aalto
(a famous Finnish modernist architect) who had designed the neighbouring
Otaniemi Campus in the early 1950s.
On an icy, drizzly, grey, cold morning, the frontage of the building was unimpressive: Mind you, with my eyes squinting from the sleet rain drops, it was easier to examine the puddles, calculating precisely how to dodge each one of them. However, once I stepped through those doors, I found myself wishing I’d worn my ‘good coat’. Before I went in the library I was stuck twirling around the foyer, taking photos and blinking widely, as I tried to take it all in.
On an icy, drizzly, grey, cold morning, the frontage of the building was unimpressive: Mind you, with my eyes squinting from the sleet rain drops, it was easier to examine the puddles, calculating precisely how to dodge each one of them. However, once I stepped through those doors, I found myself wishing I’d worn my ‘good coat’. Before I went in the library I was stuck twirling around the foyer, taking photos and blinking widely, as I tried to take it all in.
This was Finland celebrating libraries, community and culture, all at once without overdone flare. As it turned out, it was also the foyer to a concert hall where the Espoo City Symphony Orchestra calls home. Perhaps it was the foyer to other cultural goodies that I am not aware of, as the coat “rack” was elongated and undulated almost the entire depth of the entrance hall.
I don’t pretend to be an expert in architectural design but from what I can work out, is that this entire building was a gentle nod to modernism while tiptoe-ing over post-modernism & contemporary design acknowledging links towards futuristic fluidity.
Whilst in the library, I was so happy to find a
bustling, busy, buzzing little library with the simple elegant style the
surrounds had provided, before the hum of the business of books took
over.
It is evident that the coin purse of library budget stretches this far, as Tapiola’s services boast 3D printers as well. Plus migrant support with form filling appears again here, as well as language cafes, including hot breakfasts. What!!!??? The music studio can be booked online, as I’m sure the other libraries in the Metropolitan area do. They share the same System. The interface, at least, is called HELMET.
If you watch their online vids, there’s a fab little one showing something one could liken: “a day in the life of a book/patron”. Loved it! We (the patron) ended up finding there was a missing piece of a chess set, so we took it to a staff member, who was happy to oblige entering the image and specifications (I guess..) into the 3D printer and producing another piece. We, now a satisfied patron, could go back to our chess game and beat our opponent’s arse, presumably.
I vowed to return here many times over. If for no other reason, than to bask in the quiet glory of a quality, classy, full-appreciated, well-funded, beautiful, vibrant, contemporary library world. Little did I know that I would as a performer, two years later, as a spoken word performer. One of my performance colleagues had noticed that the Cultural Centre lent performance space out to those who would like an outlet. We needed one and booked a place with an intimate audience.
It is evident that the coin purse of library budget stretches this far, as Tapiola’s services boast 3D printers as well. Plus migrant support with form filling appears again here, as well as language cafes, including hot breakfasts. What!!!??? The music studio can be booked online, as I’m sure the other libraries in the Metropolitan area do. They share the same System. The interface, at least, is called HELMET.
If you watch their online vids, there’s a fab little one showing something one could liken: “a day in the life of a book/patron”. Loved it! We (the patron) ended up finding there was a missing piece of a chess set, so we took it to a staff member, who was happy to oblige entering the image and specifications (I guess..) into the 3D printer and producing another piece. We, now a satisfied patron, could go back to our chess game and beat our opponent’s arse, presumably.
I vowed to return here many times over. If for no other reason, than to bask in the quiet glory of a quality, classy, full-appreciated, well-funded, beautiful, vibrant, contemporary library world. Little did I know that I would as a performer, two years later, as a spoken word performer. One of my performance colleagues had noticed that the Cultural Centre lent performance space out to those who would like an outlet. We needed one and booked a place with an intimate audience.
