Museum of Art in Turku Finland was, when it opened in 1904, the second building in the country specificially designed as an art museum, after the building of Ateneum art museum in Helsinki, Finland’s capital city.
The art museum building has been made in the Central European 19th century art museum construction style, so that the palatial building has a central hall, surrounding which has been build smaller rooms, similarly to how many royal palaces had been build at the time.
Building’s facade is dominated by granite stone, which works seamlessly together with the building’s national romantic architecture theme.
Museum palace building is located on top of the Puolalanmäki hill, and together with the adjoining Puolalanpuisto park, has several artworks, including Jussi Mäntynen’s “Swans” and “The Statue of Friendship Between Leningrad and Turku”, by Antti Louhisto.
PHOTO: The granite-castle that functions as the art museum building was designed by architect Gustaf Nyström, whose other famous buildings in the city include the Turku market hall.
PHOTO: Located at Puolalanpuisto, a park right next door to the granite castle, is the pictured artwork “Swans”, by Jussi Mäntynen from 1958.
PHOTO: At Puolalanpuisto park there is also another artwork, a statue by Antti Louhisto, commemorating the friendship between Turku and modern St. Petersburg (Russia), at the time called “Leningrad”, from 1969.
PHOTO: A view from the art museum’s stairs towards one of the main streets in Turku, Aurakatu, which goes via, for example, the main market square.
The museum’s basic collection, which has over 6 000 artworks, consists primarily of domestic Finnish artists’ works, including several pieces from masters such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Helene Schjerfbeck, and Robert Wilhelm Ekman.
The collection is especially famous for the older Finnish artworks in the collection, surrealist art, and pop-art.
Turku Museum of Art
Aurakatu 26
20100 Turku
Finland
Hours: Tue – Fri 11am – 7pm, Sat – Sun 11am – 5pm, closed Mondays.
www.turuntaidemuseo.fi
Within the museum building you can also find a cafe, “Café Victor”, with a menu selection including lunches, pastries, and refreshments. During the summer period, Café Victor operates a terrace with one of the best views in the city.
You can purchase gifts and memorabilia from the museum shop Muusa, which has a selection including the museum publications, contemporary literature, art postcards and posters, and jewelry.