Last week I managed to visit the Finnish city of Tampere, once famous for its dolphins, it is now becoming a much visited destination in Finland. My photo is a very typical one for anyone visiting the industrial city.
If you would like to see an alternative view head over to my Facebook page for a panorama from pyynikki viewing tower. Enjoy!
Kamppi, Helsinki
ROAR27 is the latest work by Jussi TwoSeven and can be found on the platform of Kamppi Metro Station. The exhibit space is operated by HAM Helsinki and features different artist depending on the current theme of the museum. Having art in public spaces is an excellent way to expand people’s horizons, allowing them to see something that they wouldn’t necessarily see.
Kamppi, Helsinki
Want to see more? Take a look at my other photos from Helsinki Metro.
Photo Challenge: Heritage
You can find almost 500 outdoor sculptures, pieces of environmental art and historical monuments in Helsinki and they are accessible to everyone. See more and search through the database at HAMhelsinki.fi.
Over the years that I have lived in Helsinki I have become to rely on the metro to move around the city, as many others do too. It has also been a place for me to explore my photography. Though Helsinki metro doesn’t have the wow factor that other systems may have (I am thinking of you Stockholm), or the extensive reach of others, it still has its charm.
Hakaniemi Metro Station
Helsinki Metro has been a continuous project, opening for operation in 1982 after almost 30 years being planned. The small rail system has gone through many changes with new stations being added up until 2007 and with huge expansions currently under development, Lansimetro.
Helsinki Metro carries 63 million passengers a year, a relative small number when you consider the London Underground carries 1.34 billion a year and that is only the 11th most busiest metro system in the world!
Helsinki Metro is the Northern most metro system in the world.
63 million passengers a year.
Currently 11 stations, 6 of which are underground.
Plans to extend the metro to the west are under way.
Several of the Helsinki Metro Stations contain a number of art works and installations.
University of Helsinki Metro Station
Currently Ruoholahti is the last station, or first depending on your point of view, on the current metro line. From here the plans are to extend the metro to the west, connecting Helsinki with the neighbouring city of Espoo.
Ruoholahti contains an installation by artist Juhana Blomstedt, one of the many stations in Helsinki that does have some form of artwork. The station is decorated in blue and white tiles, reflecting Ruoholahti’s maritime location.
Kamppi is the station I use the most. Placed in the rock above the platform are signs pointing in ever direction, each sign has a city from around the world engraved on it.
In between the two platforms is a small space organised by HAM that hosts different art exhibits, changing a number of times a year. At the time of writing the space contains artwork by the street artist Jussi TwoSeven, before that it was the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
See ROAR27 by Jussi TwoSeven in my latest post Art in the Metro.
Formerly known as Kaisaniemi, for the park which is located a few hundred meters from the stations entrance, but the name was changed in 2014 to University of Helsinki for the campus that it serves.
University of Helsinki station is one of the most colourful out of all of the stations and that is because of the art installation that starts at the top of the escalators and continues down onto the platfrom. The lighting installation was created by Annikki Luukela and is named Network.
The first station above ground when heading east from the from city and the last to be completed in 2007. Currently, the area surrounding the station is under heavy development but still one of the most interesting with Suvilahti and Teurastamo on its doorstep.
The station was built around the existing track with little disruption to metro traffic, which is also the reason why there are two platforms, one for each direction of travel, rather than a central platform that serves both directions.
The platform was at one time full of vibrant street art completed by locals and reflected the community that the station serves but upon a recent visit I found to my surprise that it was all gone!
But here is a reminder of its inspiration.
Kalasatama Metro Station from early 2016
There is only one mistake, a part from heading in the wrong direction, that can be made when using the Helsinki Metro and that can happen here at Itäkeskus where the metro splits, one to Mellumäki, the other to Vuorasaari.
Mellumäki is 17km from Ruoholahti station, the full length of the current metro line, and the northern most metro station in the world. After Helsinki the next contender would be St Petersburg and its most northern station Parnas.
Länsimetro or west metro will continue underground from the already existing Ruoholahti station and stretch for a further 13.5 km to the west of Helsinki. The extension was planned to open in August 2016 but has been delayed for an undetermined amount of time. In recent news it has been thought to open later this year but most likely not until March of next year.
Plans to extent the metro line have been underway since 1997 (though plans made in the 1950s contained stations in Espoo) when the city of Helsinki proposed the idea to the city of Espoo. The plans were continuously rejected until terms were agreed.
The new line will at first include eight more stations with a further five once phase one is complete. These new metro stations will connect the residents of Espoo to Helsinki, along with the current bus and train lines.
Kalasatama Metro Station
Have you enjoyed this? Then I would like to hear from you. What is your favourite metro system in the world? Have you any great pictures from beautifully decorated metro stations? I would like to see them. Also, I am a huge fan of long exposures and moving trains, let me see them in the comments below.
Further Reading:
More information on the art works that feature in many of the stations can be found on HAM Helsinki’s Sculpture Database.
If you like photographs of metro stations, so does Somewhere in Helsinki. His Instagram also includes the beautiful metro stations of Stockholm.
Many of these photos have been added to my own Instagram account.
Over the last year I have been exploring Helsinki from a different perspective, I never used to care about unique staircases, interesting doorways, or if a building had a hidden courtyard. But it is in these things, among others, that I have become fond of.
I was in Tallinn for the day, as many of you may already know, photographing the city for Day With A Local. I have been in Tallinn many times but this time was different. Firstly, I was alone and could explore at my leisure, secondly, I was able to see the city in a completely different way.
It started with Linnahall, an area I have always wanted to visit but never got around to, even though I have passed by it many times when leaving and returning to the port. Then as I walked through the neighbourhood of Kalamaja, pretty much by accident, I started to see a city of colour. Each building and door different from the last.
Once seeing these details there was no stopping my eyes from seeing more. As I begun walking the streets of the medieval Old Town I started to see faces hidden in the buildings themselves. Maybe it was just me, after looking for so long you can start to trick yourself, so I want to hear what you think.
Here are my best buildings with faces from Tallinn. If you enjoy them I would like to hear from you in the comments below, tell me what your favourite is or share with me a building you have photographed that has its own expression.
The strange expression of St Nicholas Church.
Timed this one perfectly when a passer-by appeared down the alleyway, or should I say open mouth.
This one could be a little bit of a reach but those half circular windows in the roof definitely resemble eyes.
Looking out of the old town. Many tourists and visitors to Tallinn’s old town come through this way. Doesn’t this entrance look surprised?
Tell me your favourite below.
Further reading:
More from Tallinn HERE, my favourite would be my visit to Linnahall.
I am a team member of Day With A Local and these photographs were taken in cooperation with them.
Another great city I recently visited was Copenhagen.
Photographing doors had never occurred to me until a year ago but now I find myself doing it more and more often. After walking through the Kalamaja neighbourhood and looking for more details of the city I begun to look out for unique doors as I walked through the old town.
My favourite from the doors I photographed in Kalamaja.
Passing through the medieval streets of Tallinn’s old town.
A side door to the grand Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It wouldn’t be fair to include the main entrance to the cathedral here.
A modest entrance to a cellar bar and restaurant nestled in the walls of the old town.
The juxtaposition between door and building. The underwhelming colourless walls with its bright blue door.
Not exactly a door but I am going to include it, at least it adds a but of variety and demonstrates the surprises you find on ever corner of Tallinn.
As there is little road traffic in the old town and therefore not many cars parked up on the sides of the roads there were far more opportunities for photographs.
See a fellow bloggers perspective on the same door at Destination Anywhere, minus the scaffolding.
The grand (above) and the old (below). Which do you prefer?
This trip opened my eyes to the peculiar beauty of Tallinn and it was a welcomed surprise. I look forward to returning and seeing more. I was only able to visit a few of the neighbourhoods in the center of town, next time I want to travel further afield.
Any tips on any particularly special areas in Tallinn that you think I should visit? I would like to hear them in the comments.
Further reading:
Read my previous post Doors of Kalamaja
I am a team member of Day With A Local and these photographs were taken in cooperation with them.
More doors HERE.
