Metso marks 40 years: directors pick favourite spots from rooftop to tilted cupola

Metso, Tampere’s main library, turns 40 this year. In an interview with Aamulehti, current director Niina Salmenkangas and her predecessor Tuula Martikainen named their favourite corners of the landmark building.

Salmenkangas highlights the tilted roof cupola and the upper hall. She praises how the light shifts throughout the day and says the dome was designed to mimic the Earth's tilt.

Martikainen favours the rooftop for its views over Hämeenpuisto. She recalls working closely with architect Reima Pietilä during the library's design and says staff were involved from the start in practical choices, such as how many metres of shelving were needed.

Metso opened on 21 August 1986. It later hosted the Moomin Museum and the Stone Museum in its lower level, and underwent a major renovation in 2015–2017. Over the years the building has welcomed guests including Swedish royals, Prince Albert, Princess Anne and Iceland’s president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. The anniversary celebrations will include a 40-person book marathon planned for October.