Embassy of Finland

Finland has a fantastic embassy. Theirs is the first to be called a «green embassy». It is green both aesthetically and functionally. Definitely a gorgeous feat of form following function.
I visited the Finnish Embassy for a private opening reception for the IvanaHelsinki exhibition. Everyone was so friendly and the conversation about design was inspiring! I previously hadn’t known a whole lot about Finland, and now I want to visit the «design capital.»

Not pleased they were cutting off the line at 3:20 when the European Union Embassies’ Open House ends at 4:00 PM. I’ll update my review a year from now but I’ll be sure to get here early.

This is a review of the embassy’s participation in the European Union Embassies’ Open House on May 9^th, 2009.
This was my final embassy visit of the day, and it was not clear if I was going to make the strict 4pm deadline. In fact they had a gentlemen marking the end of the line, and he kept moving forward the entire time so you could never catch him. I finally made it to the door and was allowed in with literally 21 seconds to spare (there was a very large digital clock in the distance they were marking time by). I am glad I made it in, because the building is just beautiful. They had plenty of promotional material and a very large food spread. The quality of the food was very high, and it was interesting too. The smoked salmon with mustard sauce was incredibly good and perfectly cooked — very impressive given the number of visitors. They also had rye bread and Finn crisps with salmon spread and smoked Baltic herring spread. These were very good too. The meatballs with red peppers and tomatoes and the cheese cubes were fine as well, rounding out the spread. They had several placards set up telling people about Finland and stations set up dealing out glasses of juice and free licorice. The library upstairs was well stocked, and everyone was really friendly. Recommend.

Stop #5 on the EU Embassy Open House tour. I love this building — the interior and exterior are remarkable. If you have the slightest appreciation for Scandinavian design and architecture, the Embassy of Finland is a must-​see. I could have stared at the staircases in the building for hours. The bottom floor is a huge reception space with high ceiling and lots of natural light. Seeing the woods in the back as you peer through the glass and steel windows gives an interesting effect. It was a wonderful feeling to be standing in a contemporary masterpiece.
They’re currently running a photo exhibit called «My Paradise» showcasing beautiful homes of renowned Finnish architects.

The Architectural Review calls the Embassy of Finland the «best new building in Washington in the past 50 years». So, after receiving an invitation to attend a Giants of Modernist Architecture lecture and reception at the Embassy, I jumped at the chance to visit a building I’d heard so much about. Mention the Embassy of Finland to an architect and just watch what happens. After witnessing such unconcealed ardor from so many of my architect friends, I knew I was in for a real treat when we drove to the Embassy earlier this month.
Most embassy buildings in DC try to be symbols of their country and as such their facades are often stately though rarely push any boundaries. The Embassy of Finland, however, is a demonstration of Finnish values — from natural light in the workplace, to a large open area for community events, the direct connection with nature is clear and only five trees were sacrificed to build it. The Finnish Embassy sits opposite the Vice President’s residence and occupies a lot that in back slopes abruptly down into Rock Creek Park. I find this juxtaposition ironic.
The building is nestled into the woods and you don’t realize how much until you’re inside looking out through the back. The way the Embassy engages so easily with nature is but one way you can detect Alvar Aalto’s (the Finnish architect sometimes called the «Father of Modernism») influence on a building that was designed by Mikko Heikkinen, Markku Komonen, and Sarlotta Narjus nearly two decades after his death.