The renewed Helsinki Airport

“We are proud to offer world-class facilities to passengers. I have not yet met anyone who does not become delighted when entering the doors. The terminal, its facilities and services have been designed as a new business card for Finland. For many, Helsinki Airport is their first contact with our country. Terminal 2 is mostly Finnish high-quality work of which we can be proud” says Henri Hansson, Senior Vice President for Technology and Sustainability at Finavia. 

 

The new and shiny extension of Terminal 2 will open on 1 December 2021. In addition to the impressive main entrance and departures hall, the arrivals hall will also be opened. In the hall, the nature diorama Luoto welcomes passengers arriving in Finland. A travel centre linking the various modes of transport will also be put into service on the same day.

 

 

The architecturally stunning main entrance leads passengers to the departures hall whose undulating wooden roof makes an impression at first glance. During the day, the space bathes in natural light flooding in through huge windows.

 

One of the goals was to restore a sense of adventure and romance to air travel. The architecture is inspired by classical Finnish design, such as Tapio Wirkkala's Ultima Thule and geographical contours. The design of the roof plays with the alteration of lightness and heaviness. The tallest passengers may even be able to touch the ceiling at its lowest parts. The roof made in Raisio is finished with true Finnish spruce. It consists of 500 unique CLT elements that have been positioned one at a time, like a giant puzzle.

 

“The visual experience supports the smoothness of travel. The colours and materials will guide the passenger through the terminal. We have completed numerous solutions to make air travel as easy and natural as possible,” says Hansson.

 

“Passengers, meeters and greeters will get to enjoy even better services. We have refined the customer experience and taken into account the high quality requirements of both domestic and international passengers,” says Finavia’s Ulla Lettijeff, Airport Director of Helsinki Airport. 

 

The multimodal travel centre connects different modes of transport. The terminal can be reached directly from the new parking hall P1 Premium/P2 and the train station in just a few minutes. The covered platforms of bus and taxi stations are located right next to the exit of the terminal. Starting December 1, cars and taxis can drive directly in front of the main doors to drop off passengers. 

 

 

 

“The convenient connection to the train station brings the services of Helsinki Airport very close to the residents in the nearby areas. With its restaurants, cafés, grocery stores and pharmacies, the airport will serve them well,” says Lettijeff.

 

The focal point of the arrivals hall is the Luoto diorama which brings Finnish nature to the centre of the terminal. Rough, moss-covered stones and carefully selected plantings bathe in the natural light coming in from a huge skylight. The nature elements link the Asian Ikebana to Finnish nature. It symbolises the significance of Helsinki Airport as an important European hub for transit traffic.

 

 

Although the doors of the new Terminal 2 now open, construction is still ongoing. In the summer of 2022, a new security control and check-in area will be introduced, as well as the opening of the restaurant area. In 2023, the alterations to the Schengen gate area and baggage claim hall will be completed, and Finavia's entire investment programme will come to an end.  

 

All changes on December 1, 2021 will concern those travelling through Terminal 2. Travel through Terminal 1, including transport arrangements and services, will remain unchanged for the time being.