Finnish State Guesthouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Finnish State Guesthouse | |
|---|---|
Valtion vierastalo / Statens gästhus | |
_(Maison_des_invités_de_l'État_finlandais)_02.jpg) | |
 Interactive map of the Finnish State Guesthouse area | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 60°11′34″N 24°52′28″E / 60.1928°N 24.8745°E |
| Completed | 1984 |
| Renovated | 2001, 2024 |
| Cost | EUR 3.5m |
| Renovation cost | EUR 19m (2024) |
| Owner | Finnish Government |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Masonry |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | 2,525 square metres (27,180 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Einari Teräsvirta |
| Developer | Polar-Yhtymä[1] |
The Finnish State Guesthouse (Finnish: Valtion vierastalo, Swedish: Statens gästhus) is the official visitor accommodation of the Finnish Government, located in the Munkkiniemi district of Helsinki.
As temporary presidential accommodation
In the 1970s, the need arose for a better and more modern facility to accommodate official visitors. A building plot was earmarked for this purpose, carved out of parkland in Munkkiniemi, adjacent to the Hotel Kalastajatorppa to which it is connected by a tunnel; the rationale being that catering, housekeeping, and similar services could be provided by the hotel as part of their normal operations, thus negating the need for the guesthouse to employ its own permanent staff.[2]
The building was designed by architect Einari Teräsvirta, who had also designed Kalastajatorppa, and completed in 1984.[2] The budgeted cost was c. FIM 22m, or over EUR 3.5m in today's money.[1]
The Guesthouse is reserved for use by foreign heads of state during state visits, and for other official visits by heads of government and other high-level visiting dignitaries. The facility's use is determined by the Government (Valtioneuvosto).[2]
In a typical year, the Guesthouse is used approximately ten times.[3] Guests have included Prince Philip, Harald V, George H. W. Bush, Boris Yeltsin, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and Ban Ki Moon, among others.[4][5][3][6]
Following his March 2024 inauguration as the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb and his family were accommodated in the State Guesthouse, as the President's official residence Mäntyniemi, nearby some 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) away, was about to undergo an extensive renovation lasting several years.[3]
Previously, the Guesthouse also briefly accommodated President Mauno Koivisto in 1986.[3]
