05 May 2010, Posted by Johanna Eiramo in Countdown to Shanghai, Design & Culture, Greater Helsinki, Uncategorized, 0 Comments

It’s open and it’s fabulous!

The first time I saw Kirnu in January, they were just putting on the scale-like surface shingles. The site was filled with concrete, steel, dust and yelling in several languages. Now, 5 days into Expo, Kirnu is the breath of fresh air it was designed to be. Round in form and light in color, it brings forward the cool, yet exciting features that we Finns so love. And it has already captured the hearts of around 10% of daily visitors to the Expo!

There is a wide array of Finnish design on display at Kirnu. From Marimekko and Iittala classics to the Powder Flower long board displayed at the bottom of the picture on the left. As you walk around the exhibition you see Finland today and in the future, through design and gigantic media displays, you hear it in the music and can even taste it if you venture into the Helsinki Design Cafe on the bottom floor. Today, as many times before, I was so proud to be a Finn!