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The Oulu City Library is a notable example of concrete Brutalism. Designed by Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen and completed in 1982, it embodies the restrained, functional qualities associated with the style. The architecture is deliberately austere, yet carefully composed.

The building opens toward the city centre through a broad glass façade, conceived by the architects as an open book facing Oulu. This transparency lightens the weight of the concrete and allows the life inside the library to be seen from the outside.

The library has long been a meaningful public space for me. Before the internet, it was an essential source of knowledge; today, it feels more like a place to slow down and focus on my own thoughts.

#Oulu #OuluCityLibrary #Brutalism #ConcreteBrutalism #ModernArchitecture #FinnishArchitecture #1980sArchitecture #PublicSpace #Library #Finland

Oulu City Library building in winter, concrete structure with large glass façade and snow on the ground.

Fire and ice.

Heavy snow last Sunday caused a major power outage in Oulu. During the disruption, large volumes of water were released through the gates of the Merikoski power plant, setting massive ice sheets in motion along the Oulujoki River. The ice was pushed all the way into Ainola Park, which had to be temporarily closed for safety.

The situation was dangerous, but it left behind these blue-glowing ice formations — a quiet reminder of the scale and beauty of winter in the north.

#Oulu #Oulujoki #Ainolanpuisto #Winter #Ice #NordicWinter #PowerOfNature #FrozenRiver #Sunset #Finland

Large broken ice slabs glowing blue on a frozen riverside at sunset, with trees silhouetted against an orange winter sky.

The former Crown Granary of Oulu District was completed in 1847 to store state grain. In the 19th century, farmers could pay part of their taxes by delivering rye and barley here. Grain collection ended in 1925, after which the building served as a warehouse and later housed a restaurant.

Today the building is owned by an architecture firm. In the early 2000s, a street-level pub called Kruunu ja hiiri (Crown & Mouse) still occupied the base of the building. As I remember it, the interior is just as striking as the exterior.

#Oulu #HistoricArchitecture #WoodenArchitecture #19thCentury #AdaptiveReuse #Winter #Finland

Historic red wooden crown granary in Oulu photographed in winter.

Rautasilta (Iron Bridge) in Oulu was completed in 1886 for the railway line leading to the port of Toppila. It is therefore a year older than the Eiffel Tower and carries a similar late-19th-century engineering charm. The bridge was assembled with riveted construction and spans 100 metres; at the time of its completion it had the longest bridge span in the Nordic countries.

Today, a popular pedestrian route crosses the bridge, offering fantastic views over the Oulujoki River and its estuary.

#Rautasilta #Oulu #Oulujoki #HistoricBridge #SteelBridge #19thCenturyEngineering #IndustrialHeritage #NordicArchitecture #Winter #Finland

Historic steel truss bridge over the Oulujoki River in winter, with snow and frosted trees.

Oulu Prison was designed in 1882 by Ludvig Isak Lindqvist, Director General of the National Board of Public Buildings. The first prisoners arrived on 25 July 1885, a date still carved into the brick wall beside the main gate: “18 25/7 85 Tultiin Linnan.”

The prison ceased operations in December 2025, when a new facility opened in Ruskonselkä. Rising above the rooftops of Myllytulli, the red-brick building forms a prominent landmark. Its future use has not yet been decided; possible plans include cultural spaces or a hotel.

#Oulu #HistoricArchitecture #BrickArchitecture #Winter #Myllytulli #AdaptiveReuse

Red-brick prison building in Oulu, photographed in winter, with a symmetrical façade, crenellated gable, snow-covered ground, and a clear blue sky.

This building was designed in 1915 by Harald Andersin and stands next to the entrance of Oulu Cemetery. Originally, it served as a guardhouse and the gravedigger’s residence, but today it is used as a venue for memorial gatherings.

Andersin designed several notable buildings in Oulu, including Puistola, which I posted about earlier. This pale yellow house has fascinated me for a long time — I remember it already from childhood, when there was still an old telephone booth standing in front of it.

#winter #Jugend #HistoricArchitecture #Oulu #OuluCemetery

Pale yellow wooden building near the entrance to Oulu Cemetery, photographed in winter with snow and frost-covered trees.

Puistola (1912) is a Jugend-style landmark in central Oulu, partly destroyed during the Winter War and restored soon after.

Its soft pink façade has a refined, feminine quality that gives the building an elegant presence, while a charming café-restaurant on the ground floor connects it to everyday city life.

#winter
#Jugend
#HistoricArchitecture
#Oulu
#PrettyInPink

Puistola, a pink Jugend-style residential building (1912) in central Oulu, surrounded by snow, bare trees, and winter light.

This old downy birch in Hupisaaret Park, Oulu, feels like an Ent to me — quietly guarding the trees around it. It was –20 °C when I took this. The air was sharp, cheeks red with cold, breath steaming as daylight slowly returns after the winter solstice.

#winter #frost #oldtree #birchtree
#Oulu #Hupisaaret #Finland #TolkienInspired

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