Mantyniemi Presidential Residence, Helsinki, Finland

Related people

John P. Schooley Jr. (photographer)
Raili Pietila (architect)

Date

1989-1993

Description

In 1983, the government purchased 2.8 hectares of land in the Meilahti district of Helsinki as the site for a new official residence for the President of Finland. An architectural competition was held for the design. The winner among the 203 entries submitted was a plan by Reima and Raili Pietila. Mantyniemi was the last work by the Pietila husband-and-wife team. Construction on the residence began in September 1989 and was completed in 1993. The main house depicted in this image has 212 corners on the exterior, 300 windows of different sizes, and 180 different types of doors. The elevation is built in Finnish granite, glass, and copper sheeting. Some of the interior walls are also granite, though concrete and birch veneer were also used. The landscaping, by Maj-Lis Rosenbrojer, was designed to protect the natural vegetation. The trees on the plot include birch, pine, rowan and oak. Information from: http://www.presidentti.fi/netcomm/news/ShowArticle.asp?intNWSAID=34094&L... This image was taken in 1996 by John Schooley, FAIA, during an architectural tour of Finland.

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