The construction of the Helsinki Central Library officially started on 1 September, when the excavator bucket broke the asphalt of the construction site for the first time. The construction will go on for almost three years. When completed, the Central Library will reach some 10,000 visitors per day and some 2.5 million visitors annually.

“Helsinki is being built as a city with an increasing sense of community, as our population is growing at a good rate. The Central Library is a diversified meeting place of city culture for the people of Helsinki and for visitors. It brings us a lot of joy and culture as well as new ideas”, says Ritva Viljanen, Deputy Mayor for Education and Cultural Affairs of the City of Helsinki.

The Central Library, overlooking the Töölönlahti bay opposite the Parliament House, will be an open, public space that invites everyone to enjoy activities, education and culture. Participatory planning has been in the core of the project from the beginning. Citizens have been invited to share ideas on the roles and services of the new library well before the construction work was started.   

The Central Library is a part of the project honouring the centennial anniversary of Finland's independence. The opening is due to take place on 6 December, 2018.
More information:
Central library
Finland 100 years

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