HOTEL VAAKUNA
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Interior Design: Erkki Huttunen
Photography: Nikolaj Thaning Rentzmann
Launch: 1952 - Restored in 2019
Helsinki’s Hidden Gem
The largest hotel in the Nordics when it opened in 1952, Hotel Vaakuna and its renowned restaurant occupy the top five floors of the Sokos department store building in central Helsinki. The work of architect Erkki Huttunen, the building’s functionalist façade is tempered on the inside with ornamental touches of the romantic. This, in part, is thanks to Paavo Tynell, who custom-designed numerous light fixtures for the property, including the rooms, lobby, and restaurant.
Housing one of the most extensive collections of Tynell designs that survives today, Hotel Vaakuna showcases the breadth of his distinctive style. Golden sconces made from curved sheets of brass, hand-perforated to create a beautiful play of light, are fixed on the walls.
Several styles of chandelier adorn the space, from delicate glass-lantern cascades to clusters of golden brass bells. Natural motifs abound, including snowflake-shaped canopies and exquisite flower details crafted from brass wire.
Tynell isn’t the only master craftsperson whose work appears in Hotel Vaakuna. In the restaurant lobby, glinting in the light of his perforated brass chandelier, the small tables engraved with animal designs is the work of his wife, Helena Tynell.
The Hotel Vaakuna Selection
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