Turku Main Library
Encyclopedia
Turku Main Library is the chief branch of Turku City Library
, located in the city centre of Turku
, Finland
. The library
is approximately 8,500 m².
late Renaissance style building, constructed in 1903, built and delivered by Turku commercial counsellor Fredric von Rettig and designed by Karl August Wrede. The designe was based on a Swedish House of Nobility in Stockholm
. The first floor was a national library for the working class
and the second was the city library for academics. These two libraries merged in 1912 to become Turku City Library.
This library at the time was the third in Finland. Before there was a library in Turku, the only places to get books from a building was in Helsinki
and Rauma
.
Turku Main Library currently occupies three buildings: the old and new buildings and a former office building for the governor built in 1818 which is now Café Sirius . There is a walkway
which connects the three buildings, going from old building past the café to the new building. The reference
, magazine
and the children's and young adults sections are located in the new building. After renovation was complete in 2008, the fiction
, art and music sections can be found in the old building.
The principle of percent for art
was taken into consideration during the construction of the new building. This means that a part of the construction expenses were set aside for art projects at the library. Five works of art were acquired for the library: Saara Ekström's ornamental Alkukirjain (Initial Letter) spreads out on the walls of the main hall, and her video work Aakkoset (the Alphabet) can be seen at the Reading Corner of the hall. The sculpture Visual Vortex - Passge of Events by Hans-Christian Berg is situated in the showcase by the main entrance. Vestigia by Hilkka Könönen, inspired by abstract painting, is situated at the News Square. Hetkinen (Moment) by Ann Sundholm consists of gilded objects and a roof, and it shines its light on the main hall from the staff break room of the staff. Finally, Merja Pitkänen has realised sculpture installation Esiintymä (Occurrence) at the library cafe Sirius. These pieces are a part of the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
collection for the City of Turku.
Turku City Library
Turku City Library is a municipal library service in Turku, Finland which includes 14 branch libraries and Turku Main Library which is located in the city centre of Turku and is a combination of new building and the old main library building . The old building was under renovation and reopened in...
, located in the city centre of Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
is approximately 8,500 m².
Old building
The Turku Main Library 2,900 m² old building is a DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
late Renaissance style building, constructed in 1903, built and delivered by Turku commercial counsellor Fredric von Rettig and designed by Karl August Wrede. The designe was based on a Swedish House of Nobility in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. The first floor was a national library for the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
and the second was the city library for academics. These two libraries merged in 1912 to become Turku City Library.
This library at the time was the third in Finland. Before there was a library in Turku, the only places to get books from a building was in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
and Rauma
Rauma, Finland
Rauma is a town and municipality of ca. inhabitants on the west coast of Finland, north of Turku, and south of Pori. Granted town privileges on May 17, 1442 , Rauma is known of its high quality lace , and of the old wooden architecture of its centre , which is a Unesco world heritage...
.
New building
Turku City Library expanded its operations and moved to a newly constructed building in 2007. The old building was renovated by architectural firm Arkkitehtitoimisto C&Co Oy, and the new section and overall plan by JKMM Architects Ltd. The head desgner was architect Asmo Jaaksi. There is approximately 5,400 m² of space in the new building.Turku Main Library currently occupies three buildings: the old and new buildings and a former office building for the governor built in 1818 which is now Café Sirius . There is a walkway
Walkway
In US English, a walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. These include sidewalks, footbridges, stiles, stairs, ramps, paseos or tunnels...
which connects the three buildings, going from old building past the café to the new building. The reference
Reference
Reference is derived from Middle English referren, from Middle French rèférer, from Latin referre, "to carry back", formed from the prefix re- and ferre, "to bear"...
, magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
and the children's and young adults sections are located in the new building. After renovation was complete in 2008, the fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, art and music sections can be found in the old building.
The principle of percent for art
Percent for Art
The term "percent for art" refers to a program, often a city ordinance, where a fee, usually some percentage of the project cost, is placed on large scale development projects in order to fund and install public art. The details of such programs vary from area-to-area...
was taken into consideration during the construction of the new building. This means that a part of the construction expenses were set aside for art projects at the library. Five works of art were acquired for the library: Saara Ekström's ornamental Alkukirjain (Initial Letter) spreads out on the walls of the main hall, and her video work Aakkoset (the Alphabet) can be seen at the Reading Corner of the hall. The sculpture Visual Vortex - Passge of Events by Hans-Christian Berg is situated in the showcase by the main entrance. Vestigia by Hilkka Könönen, inspired by abstract painting, is situated at the News Square. Hetkinen (Moment) by Ann Sundholm consists of gilded objects and a roof, and it shines its light on the main hall from the staff break room of the staff. Finally, Merja Pitkänen has realised sculpture installation Esiintymä (Occurrence) at the library cafe Sirius. These pieces are a part of the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art or WAM for short, is an art museum in central Turku, Finland dedicated especially to modern art. The museum is located on the east bank of the Aura River. The permanent exhibition is based on the art collection of City of Turku, which includes a large collection of...
collection for the City of Turku.