Helsinki – Garden City in Tapiola

In this architecture tour you will explore Tapiola, a distinctive district in Espoo, Finland’s second largest city located near central Helsinki. Developed mainly in the 1950s and 1960s by the Finnish Housing Foundation, Tapiola was envisioned as a garden city under the guidance of Aarne Ervi, a key figure in post-war Finnish architecture and a major contributor to Scandinavian functionalism. This pioneering district became a living laboratory where the most innovative architectural and urban planning ideas of the time were tested. The goal was to create an ideal urban environment where modern life and natural surroundings coexist seamlessly. During the mid-20th century, the project drew international attention, attracting visitors from around the world and even inspiring the creation of official “tourist hostesses” to guide guests through the experimental city. Several remarkable landmarks reflect Tapiola’s visionary origins, including the Leimuniitty park designed by Jussi Jännes in 1961, later renovated in 2016 with new bridges, terraces and material-focused landscape elements. The Tapiola Church by Aarno Ruusuvuori, completed in 1965, stands as a monumental modernist structure notable for its concrete expression, cultural significance and capacity for 600 visitors.