The Stoic Station

About a hundred years ago (1919) the railway station in Helsinki finally opened up.  The locals spent a dozen years building the whole complex.  If you were looking for a major operation, with a theme and built to last.....this is one of the finer train stations that I've ever come across.

I'd take a guess that in another hundred years.....the station will still be there and standing.

One of the odder features of the building is that they actually have a VIP-Presidential lounge.  Yeah, it is actually reserved for the President of Finland and he could show up....with some entourage....sip some beers and talk up politics....at the railway station.  How often he ever uses it?  I would have my doubts.

Usage of the railway center?  Well, the station has 17 platforms, a major subway connection point, a huge bus parking lot and a tram-stopping for a dozen-odd trams in operation around the city.  You can figure that 200,000 people use some part of this station on a daily basis.

One of the interesting features of the station is the entryway (facing south).  On each side are two Finn-like guys (long hair obviously)....muscular and giving the stoic Finn stare.

I stood admiring the two guys on the right side.  It's an impressive entry area.

The one thing you start to realize is that whoever made the manly Finn statues....wanted to ensure each had prominent nipples.  Even from 200 feet away....you kinda notice this. Most manly statues around Europe don't go into that kind of detail.  Obviously, this artist did.

So if you ever are in Helsinki....I would encourage you to go and spend an hour walking around the railway station.  It is an interesting structure, with a lot of thought put into a useful structure a century ago, and into the modern era of today.