Tampere Main Library Metso

The last day of August was rainy and gray. Still tired after the treatment yesterday. I had a meeting at the office in the afternoon. After work I went to the Cafe Metsonkulma and also visited the Metso library. It is such a wonderful building, Pietiläs' architecture is truly fascinating.

The Tampere Main Library is an illustrative example of Raili and Reima Pietiläs’ play with architectural metaphors. Its common nickname ‘Metso’ (meaning capercaillie a.k.a. woodland grouse, Tetrao urogallus) suggest that the building resembles a giant bird seen from above. On the other hand, Reima Pietilä mentioned that the spiral form was also inspired by Celtic bronze clasps, cosmic symbolism and the 1910s expressionist architecture.

A curved canopy leads to a circular entrance hall, around which the main spaces are located in a spiral formation. The hall is covered by a dome with an axis tilted 12 degrees, in the same way as the Earth. Respectively, the fan-shaped lending hall has vaults of different sizes. The structure is a combination of precast arches and concrete shells cast on site.



+18,8 °C, rainy