“Lasipalatsi” or the “Glass Palace” is what the building located on Mannerheim Avenue in the Kamppi district is called in Helsinki. It is one of the city's most notable functionalist buildings. Its history is quite dramatic and begins in the 1930s, when on the site of the demolished Turku barracks, the young architects Viljo Revell, Heimo Riihimäki, and Niilo Kokko created a building in the modernist style.
At that time, offices, restaurants, and a cinema were located here. Originally, it was assumed that “Lasipalatsi” would be a temporary project, and that later a larger office building would stand in its place. For decades, the “palace” was under constant threat of demolition, changing owners and signs, but the residents of Helsinki liked the unusual building, and they defended the building's right to exist, as it had become a new landmark of Helsinki.
As a result of the restoration work carried out in 1996-98, the “Glass Palace” was fully restored to its original appearance, with elements necessary for full operation in modern conditions. It now serves as a cultural center that includes cafes, restaurants, and offices of media companies. In addition, exhibitions and various events are held here. The Finnish broadcasting company Yle broadcasts from “Lasipalatsi”, and there is also the Bio Rex cinema here, which focuses on screening non-commercial films.
Interestingly, the international group for the documentation and conservation of buildings of modern architecture, Docomomo International, included “Lasipalatsi” in the list of masterpieces of modernist architecture in Finland.
