House of the Estates
The House of the Estates, designed by Architect Karl Gustav Nyström, is located in the vicinity of Senate Square and stands opposite the Bank of Finland.
This dignified Neo-Renaissance building serves as a venue for meetings and official functions held by the Prime Minister's Office and other offices of the central government. The building is also being used by the Learned Societies for various functions.
The first House of the Finnish Diet
Symbolic bronze figures
The House of the Estates, built between 1888 and 1890 for the three common estates as a venue for meetings during the Assembly of the Representatives of the Estates, was inaugurated in January 1891.
The familiar design of Greek temple facades, complete with columns, adorns the facade of the House. The tympanum depicts a group of symbolic bronze figures, completed by sculptor Emil Wikström in 1903, the central figure being the Russian Emperor Alexander I confirming the laws and national rights of Finland.
Entrance Hall
A monumental entrance hall richly decorated with paintings leads to a grandiose staircase, illuminated by the light filtering through a skylight with coloured window panes.
On the landing above the stairs stands a replica of Walter Runeberg's symbolistic sculpture 'The Law', the original of which is in the pedestal of the statue of Alexander II in Senate Square, Helsinki.
The Estates used to meet in the assembly halls on the first floor. After the implementation of a single chamber parliament in 1907, the House of the Estates could not accommodate the two hundred representatives of Parliament. Meetings of parliamentary committees were still held in the building, which also housed the Library of Parliament until the new Parliament Building was completed in 1931.
For the next half century, the building was known as the House of Learned Societies, housing the offices and libraries of some sixty-five Societies. The House also served as a venue for various functions held by these Societies.
Government Banqueting Premises
Wall ornaments
In 1978, the administration of the House of the Estates was transferred to the Prime Minister's Office. A through renovation of the building began in 1988 and the renovation of the interior was completed in 1991 and the outside renovation work was finalised in 1993.
The renovation and alteration work was designed by Architect Vilhelm Helander. The original stucco, marble and other ornamental work in Renaissance and German Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) styles by ornamental painter Salomo Wuorio and his assistant C. Ehrling were cleaned and restored.
Dining room
Today, the House of the Estates serves as a Government banqueting premise which annually hosts hundreds of events ranging from working group meetings to grandiose receptions.
The former Assembly Hall of the Estate of Burgesses on the first floor facing Kirkkokatu, is now the Banqueting Room. The Assembly Hall of the Peasantry facing Rauhankatu has been converted to a lecture room, and the former Hall of the Clergy facing Snellmaninkatu is now a room for press and media conferences.
Whatever has survived intact of the old furniture has been renovated and brought into use. Modern hi-tech equipment has been kept out of sight by building it into existing structures.
Visit the House of the Estates
Tours of the House of the Estates are organised normally on the second Saturday of each month between 10 and 12. There will not be any tours if other events take place at the same time. The availability of a tour can be checked a few days before the second Saturday of the month from the ‘Current issues’ web page of the Prime Minister’s Office (www.vnk.fi/ajankohtaista/en.jsp) or by telephoning the attendants of the House of the Estates, tel. +358 9 1602 2200. There will be no tours in the summer, May-August.
The tour of the House of the Estates takes approximately 30 minutes. The public can enter the premises every 30 minutes between 10 and 12. There is no advance registration or admission fee. Stairs are used during the tour, but a lift is also available. Further information on accessibility is provided by the attendants of the House of Estates, tel. +358 9 1602 2200.