Hotels near Kiasma and Oodi

Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and the Oodi Central Library sit 100 metres apart on Mannerheimintie and together anchor Helsinki's cultural axis opposite the Central Station. Kiasma was designed by American architect Steven Holl and opened in 1998 in a curved white asymmetric building that itself is the exhibit. Its five floors host rotating contemporary art from the 9,600-work national collection: painting, video, sculpture, performance. Opening hours are Tuesday-Friday 10:00-20:30, Saturday-Sunday 10:00-18:00, closed Monday. Admission is 22 EUR.

Oodi Central Library (Toolonlahdenkatu 4, 00100), opened in 2018 and designed by ALA Architects, is the physical answer to what a modern public library should be. Three floors of laminated timber, glass and steel hold reading rooms, sound studios, 3D printers, sewing machines, a cinema, a cafe and 100,000 books. Opening hours are Monday-Friday 08:00-22:00, Saturday-Sunday 10:00-20:00 and admission is free. From the third-floor Book Heaven balcony you look straight across Kansalaistori Square at the Parliament House, the Music Centre and the Sanoma newspaper HQ. Ateneum Art Museum (Kaivokatu 2) is opposite the Central Station.

Pro Tip: Buy the Museum Card (Museokortti, 79 EUR for 12 months or 39 EUR for a year student rate) if you plan to visit Kiasma, Ateneum, National Museum, Design Museum and Amos Rex - it pays back after any two paid museums. Oodi is free and open till 22:00 on weekdays, ideal for a quiet late afternoon coffee on the timber-clad third floor.