In August 2014, Helsinki Festival planted its flag on the no-man’s-land that is the city’s Kansalaistori Square. The square was home to Koe Helsinki Festival City, an urban oasis, open to all and packed with cultural delights.  The core of the festival is the tent which houses a pop-up restaurant and stage; a space for all citizens to enjoy and influence and to be active in the event.

The 200-seat restaurant has salvaged materials throughout, from the 9meter long bar of recycled wood panelling to the lights above it made of tin cans. Focus was given to the creation of a flexible space dotted with lightweight furniture which can easily be repositioned to accommodate different activities.

The graphics are created by Jussi Karjalainen and perfectly suit the theme of Koe Helsinki: cut and paste.

The lightweight pendants in the tent’s ceiling create a feeling of enclosure while enabling the view and the access to the above. The lamps are not glued but screwed together, ready to be transformed once the festival comes to an end.

What is a city?
Is it a web of roads?
A collection of buildings?
A theatre of power?
Is it inevitable, beyond our control?

What if…
We are the city
We make the city
Constantly changing, never the same
Like us
Lets build this city
Welcome!