Workshop dinner at Helsinki City Hall

"Helsingin kaupungintalo satamasta" by kallerna - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helsingin_kaupungintalo_satamasta.jpg#/media/File:Helsingin_kaupungintalo_satamasta.jpg

Helsinki City Hall / Photo: Kallerna

Participants at EWEA events are looking for excellent networking opportunities as well as the highest quality content. In addition to extended breaks, lunches and drinks receptions, the City of Helsinki has kindly agreed to host the workshop dinner reception for all participants on 2 June 2015 at Helsinki City Hall, one of the main landmarks in Finland’s capital city.

Practical information

The dinner reception will take place at Helsinki City Hall (located on Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13), in the Banquet Hall, from 19:30 until 21:00.

Dinner_Venue_Access_Map

click to enlarge

If you commute directly from Finlandia Hall, the easiest way to go is to take the tram on Mannerheimintie, from stop ‘Kansallismuseo’. Tram lines T4 and T7B will take you to the City Hall (get of at ‘Senaatintori’). On the map, follow  Tram_Itinerary

We will organise a group departure at 18:45 from Finlandia Hall.

If you go back to your hotel before dinner:

  • If you are staying at the Crowne Plaza or at the Scandic Park, you can take the same Tram lines, from tram stop ‘Hesperian Puisto’
  • If you are staying at the Holiday Inn City Centre, it’s a 15 min walk.
    On the map, follow Walking_Itinerary_HI

The dinner reception will be followed by drinks at Kappeli, one of Helsinki’s oldest cafés, located just opposite the City Hall and overlooking Helsinki’s Esplanadi park, right at the heart of the city.

About Helsinki City Hall

The City Hall is located in Helsinki’s neoclassical centre. The building was originally designed as a hotel. After Helsinki was made the capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, it needed new and better facilities for entertaining. Hotel Seurahuone, as it was named, was designed by the German architect Carl Ludwig Engel and was completed in 1833. The hotel was quite large for its time. It contained business premises on the ground floor and a large banqueting room on the second floor. The hotel also had gambling rooms, but only 27 rooms for guests. The Seurahuone operated as a hotel up to 1913, although the city acquired the building in 1901 in order to build a new city hall on the lot. Part of the building was placed in official use immediately. During World War I a hospital for Russian naval personnel was located there.

The building was refurbished in the early 1920s and was converted for its new purpose. It was thoroughly renovated in 1965-70, according to plans prepared by Professor Aarno Ruusuvuori. The interior was rebuilt at this time. Only the banquet room and exterior were restored according to their previous design.

The City Hall presently houses the City Board’s meeting room, the City Office and entertaining facilities.

Source: virutalhelsinki.net