The Joensuu City Hall () is a brick building in the center of

Joensuu Joensuu (; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of North Karelia. It is located in the eastern interior of the country and in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Joensuu is approximately , while the sub-region has a population ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, designed by

Eliel Saarinen Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen (, ; August 20, 1873 – July 1, 1950) was a Finnish and American Architecture, architect known for his work with Art Nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century. He was also the father of famed architect Ee ...

and completed in 1914, combining styles of

Romantic Nationalism Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...

and late

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

. It serves as a center of culture and governance for the city. It houses the city's central administration, the city theater (the easternmost professional theater in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

) and a restaurant. The city hall is located on the banks of the

Pielinen River Pielisjoki (River Pielinen) is a long river in Eastern Finland. It is the sixth most fast-flowing river in Finland and the largest river draining into Lake Saimaa. The river connects the two largest lakes in North Karelia, Pielinen and Lake Pyh� ...

on the Rantakatu street.Joensuun kaupunki – Kaupungintalo
(in Finnish) After its completion on November 14, 1914, the new city hall corresponded quite closely to Saarinen's drawings, especially from its facades. The facade statues were designed by sculptor Johannes Haapasalo. In March 1966, a fire broke out at the city hall, which almost destroyed the building. The fire originated on the stage of the city theater and spread to the attic and tower of the

ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called ''balls''. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially histori ...

. The fire was nonetheless contained so that the office part suffered only water damage. The buildings archives were successfully evacuated, but the seats attached to the floor in the theatre remained in place. The building's structures had to be renovated, and the ventilation system was almost completely rebuilt. The surroundings of the city hall were renewed in the 1990s and 2000s. The promenade has been reduced by about a meter and the lowest floor of the house has become more prominent. The city hall was renovated in 1998. The

terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

of the theater restaurant in the city hall is a popular venue for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and other club-type

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s. The downstairs theater club regularly hosts smaller live concerts.Joensuun kaupungintalo – Matkailu-opas
(in Finnish)

References

External links

Joensuu City Hall
at Joensuuopas.com (in Finnish) {{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1914 Buildings and structures in North Karelia Buildings designed by Eliel Saarinen City and town halls in Finland Joensuu

See also

References

External links