Paris: the view looking west from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Of course, the Eiffel Tower has THE view over the City of Lights, but in the mid-19th century, this monument (commissioned in 1806 by Napoléon I, finished in the 1830’s), was one of the highest vantage points in the city, aside from the bell towers of Notre Dame cathedral. From here, you’re ‘on top of the world,’ then, 1800’s-style. Twelve grand avenues lead out from this Arch. In the photo above, on the left, the très chic Avenue Foch (one of the most expensive addresses in the world), and on the right, the Avenue de la Grande Armée, heading off toward the modern high-rise district of La Défense on the edge of the city. There are 284 steps in the spiral staircase inside the Arc de Triomphe. No elevator. Don’t complain. Walk off those croissants; have Paris at your feet...
The name of the functionalist glass-walled pavilion, Lasipalatsi, translates to “glass palace.”
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
The modernist Lasipalatsi building is an important monument of Finnish design.
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
The museum has two floors below ground and two floors above ground, each connected by staircases.
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
Most of Amos Rex is situated underground, with a series of white domed skylights emerging across the Lasipalatsi Square.
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
JKMM architects also restored the 590-seat cinema within the Lasipalatsi complex to its 1930s Art Deco glory.
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
Skylights connect the underground Amos Rex museum to the Lasipalatsi Square above.
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
Amos Rex exhibition halls have structural dome ceilings that transform Helsinki’s Lasipalatsi Square into a moonscape.
Photo by Tuomas Uusheimo
1937 . Lasipalatsi. Mannerheimintie 22-24. Rakennuksen piirt‰neet Kokko, Revell ja Riihim‰ki, valmistunut 1936. Yrityksi‰: Varuboden, Valio.
Photo by Aarne Pietinen
An aerial view of the Amos Rex Museum in Helsinki, Finland.
Photo by Mika Huisman
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from the Arc de Triomphe, looking west
Paris: the view looking west from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Of course, the Eiffel Tower has THE view over the City of Lights, but in the mid-19th century, this monument (commissioned in 1806 by Napoléon I, finished in the 1830’s), was one of the highest vantage points in the city, aside from the bell towers of Notre Dame cathedral. From here, you’re ‘on top of the world,’ then, 1800’s-style. Twelve grand avenues lead out from this Arch. In the photo above, on the left, the très chic Avenue Foch (one of the most expensive addresses in the world), and on the right, the Avenue de la Grande Armée, heading off toward the modern high-rise district of La Défense on the edge of the city. There are 284 steps in the spiral staircase inside the Arc de Triomphe. No elevator. Don’t complain. Walk off those croissants; have Paris at your feet...
