| Esplanadi | |
|---|---|
| Esplanaden | |
 The central walking path of Esplanadi, 2020. | |
  Location of Esplanadi in Helsinki | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Location | Helsinki, Finland |
| Coordinates | 60°10′03″N24°56′52″E / 60.16750°N 24.94778°E |
| Established | 1818 |
| Designer | Carl Ludwig Engel |
Esplanadi (Swedish : Esplanaden), colloquially known as Espa, is an esplanade and urban park in downtown Helsinki, Finland, situated between the Erottaja square and the Market Square. It is bordered on its northern and southern sides by the Pohjoisesplanadi (Norra Esplanaden, North Esplanadi) and Eteläesplanadi (Södra Esplanaden, South Esplanadi) streets, respectively. Aleksanterinkatu runs parallel to Esplanadi. Esplanadi is well known as a popular walking area, [1] [2] and street performances are also often held in the park. [3]
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The origins of Esplanadi Park date back to the early 19th century, when visions for the reconstruction of Helsinki began to take form. Its layout, with the distinctive twin rows of trees, was first outlined in Johan Albreht Ehrenström’s town plan, which won the approval of Emperor Alexander I of Russia in 1817. Designed by the architect Carl Ludwig Engel, the park was originally opened in 1818. [4] [5]
Planting along the central Esplanade commenced in 1826 with avenues of maple and elm, setting in motion the gradual transformation of the area into a grand urban promenade. In the early 1880s, the park reached completion with the creation of Runeberg Esplanade. By 1885, the central axis gained both its defining name and its monument, dedicated to Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg. [4]
Over the decades, city gardeners turned the park into Helsinki’s most celebrated stage for seasonal plantings. At the dawn of the 20th century, Esplanadi stood as a model of landscape artistry in Finland, where the plant selections astonished visitors with their variety - ranging from the familiar to the exotic, including cacti, succulents, and even palms. [4]
From early on, cafés and restaurants have been part of the life of the park. The fortunes of the Swedish Theatre and of the restaurant Kappeli have in turn shaped the character of Teatteriesplanadi and Kappeliesplanadi. [4] In 1827, Engels Teater (the predecessor of the Swedish Theatre), the first theatre building in Helsinki, also designed by Engel, was erected in a corner of the park.
Teatteriesplanadi is dominated by two landmarks: the restaurant Teatteri and the Swedish Theatre, affectionately known as Svenskan. The present theatre building was designed by the Saint Petersburg professor Nikolai Benois (1813–1898), imperial court architect to Tsar Nicholas I. Completed in the autumn of 1866, the theatre soon became a jewel of Helsinki’s cultural life. [6]
In the mid-1930s, between 1935 and 1936, the building was both modernised and expanded under the direction of two eminent Finnish architects - Eero Saarinen (1910–1961) and Jarl Eklund (1876–1962) - thus bridging the theatre’s imperial origins with the stylistic ambitions of a new era. [6]
Since the mid-19th century, Esplanadi Park has been the foremost promenade and place to see and be seen in Helsinki. Generations have flocked to the ‘Espa’ to stroll, to linger, to listen to music, to watch performances, and to enjoy the offerings of its cafés and restaurants. [4]
As early as 1840, J. D. Jerngrén erected a small kiosk in the park, which became known as the Kappeli. The name endured, passing on to the restaurant building designed by architect A. H. Dalström on the very same site. The first stage of that building, still standing today, was completed in 1866. [4] In front of the restaurant is an outdoor stage, which hosts numerous live music performances.
Centered in the park is a statue of Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet of Finland, by his son Walter Runeberg. [7] Other public art pieces include works by Viktor Jansson, Gunnar Finne and Lauri Leppänen.
Other prestigious restaurants on the edge of the park include Restaurant Olo on Pohjoisesplanadi [8] and Savoy Restaurant on Eteläesplanadi. [9]
Also located on the edge of Esplanadi are Stockmann, Kämp Galleria, Louis Vuitton, and Hotel Kämp. [10] [11] [12] [13]
