From a certain angle, you can see how the black beam on the facade of Finlandia Hall cleverly connects with the tower of the National Museum. This may be a sample of Alvar Aalto’s creativity.
Birdsong from the vantage point you can notice an architectural detail that the Helsinki native Kauko Niemi playfully characterizes as “Alvar’s riddle”.
There is a black beam on the wall of Finlandia Hall, which runs in a perfect line with the side of the tower of the National Museum.
“I photographed the building a few years ago and shared it on Facebook. No one commented that they knew what it was about,” says Niemi.
Friday, February 3 was flagged off Alvar and Aino Aalton and in honor of Finnish Architecture and Design Day. The celebration inspired Nieme to share the photo of his observation again in the Facebook group Helsinki in pictures.
Those who wish can go and make the same observation from the Linnunlaulu cliff promontory. Niemi took his picture from between the two-branched birch tree standing in the yard of Sininen villa.
“Not many people have thought about that when they only look at Finlandia Hall. On the other hand, if you come from Mannerheimintie, you might wonder why there is such a black beach there,” Niemi reflects.
White marble surface the splitting black bar leaves the viewer to their own conclusions.
Research manager of the Museum of Architecture Petteri Kummala says it’s a kind of urban legend.
“It could be true, or it could be a really lucky coincidence.”
On the other hand, according to Aalto’s original downtown plan, the Linnunlaulu area would have been leveled and traffic lanes would have been built on top. However, that plan had already failed during the planning phase of Finlandia Hall, Kummala says.
This is what the beam on the side of Finlandia Hall looks like when photographed from another direction.
According to him, the bar itself has no function. Its placement cannot be justified, for example, by the fact that material of that color was needed for construction.
Kummala thinks it is interesting that the beam connects to the tower of the National Museum from the most beautiful place, from where the view of Finlandia Hall and Töölönlahti opens up.
If the placement of the black bar is really deliberately positioned, Aalto may have wanted to mark the most beautiful vantage point in Töölönlahti.
“As an idea, it’s terribly attractive,” says Kummala.
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