Mäntyniemi

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Mäntyniemi (Talludden in Swedish), is one of the three official residences of the President of Finland besides the Presidential Palace and Kultaranta. Mäntyniemi was finished in 1993. After that the three Finnish presidents, Mauno Koivisto, Martti Ahtisaari and the incumbent Tarja Halonen have lived there.

When president Urho Kekkonen resigned in 1981 due to a serious illness, he stayed in the then official residence Tamminiemi until his death in 1986. The Government of Finland set aside Tamminiemi for him and decided to choose a new residence for the president Koivisto. In 1983 28,000 square metres of land was bought in the Meilahti district in western Helsinki. Reima and Raili Pietilä won the open architectural competition to design Mäntyniemi. Construction started in September of 1989 and was completed in 1993.

Mäntyniemi is the first official residence to be built specifically for the President of Finland. It is located by the sea and steps lead down from the main reception room to a waterfront terrace. The surrounding landscaping is done by Maj-Lis Rosenbröjer and was designed to exist in harmony with the natural vegetation.

Interior design, the textiles, furnishings, tableware and other items were designed specifically for the Mäntyniemi. Competitions for artists were held to choose some of the individual works of art for particular settings or parts of the house. Stone (such as granite) and wood (birch) are among the commonly used materials on the inside, along with concrete.

There are three buildings on the site. The main house comprises most of the total floor space (around 2,000 square meters or 22,000 square feet). It is where the president's private living quarters and personal office suites, as well as the reception rooms are located. The latter can be used for meetings, receiving visitors and hosting smaller receptions. There is also a small gatehouse and an outbuilding on the premises.