The Finnish Civic Museum

Eliel Saarinen’s Helsinki Central Railway Station has been a symbol of Finnish urban culture for over a century. Internationally recognised as a design classic, the station has served both as a gateway to the world and as part of Finland’s collective self-image.   
 
Now, the Finnish Civic Museum, located in the station’s western wing, opens a new chapter in this story. The exhibition space makes culture as accessible as public transport: it brings Finnish art and design into the everyday paths of people moving through the station.   

Welcome to a new platform for Finnish art — one that moves with the rhythm of the city and belongs to all of us.   

Free entry daily at 06:00–24:00.  
  
The first-floor exhibition space is fully accessible. 

Finland currently has the highest unemployment rate in Europe, and the situation is not expected to improve in the near future. In public debate, unemployment is often presented through figures, percentages and government finance tables. Job Seekers turns our attention to the people behind the statistics.

Photographer Jussi Ratilainen’s exhibition portrays unemployed people in Finland as individuals, each with their own stories, experiences and hopes. The portraits were taken at Helsinki Central Railway Station, a major hub for commuter traffic.

Each portrait is accompanied by a short excerpt from an interview. Together, the photographs and texts invite viewers to pause and spend a moment with people who often remain invisible in public debate.

The western wing of Helsinki Central Railway Station is opening in a way that reveals its true scale and potential for new business. Its monumental, historically charged interiors offer a rare combination of architectural value, national visibility and a daily audience of thousands who pass by. 

The Civic Museum demonstrates what the western wing can become through culture — and what it can enable for an operator ready to bring a bold vision into the next century of the station’s life. 

Explore the spaces, get in touch, and secure your place in Finland’s most iconic and most frequented building >>