Mäntyniemi, Presidential residence in Meilahti, Finland
Mäntyniemi is the official residence of the Finnish president in Meilahti, Helsinki, built from granite and glass and surrounded by a forested plot along the sea. The main house combines private living quarters, reception halls and offices under one roof with rooms shaped in organic forms.
After President Kekkonen resigned in 1981, the government acquired the land in Meilahti to create a new residence. Construction began in the late 1980s and was completed in 1993.
The architects worked local birch and Finnish granite into all the rooms so the building reflects the surrounding landscape. State guests are received in halls where the materials and shapes recall northern forest scenery.
The grounds are not open to visitors but can be viewed from outside along the surrounding paths. The coastal location and the trees make it difficult to see the building in full.
Each of the roughly 300 window panes and 190 doors received its own design so no two look alike. This architectural decision was meant to translate the variety of Finnish nature into building elements.
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