A lot of cities could learn from Helsinki’s enlightened policies on supporting spaces for art and culture. For a long time the Finns have been investing in striking, modern buildings to house their galleries, museums, and libraries, and, if my recent visit is any guide, the investment is paying off. On a short gap between meetings this week, I made my first trips to Oodi (the Helsinki central library) and, a short walk away, Kiasma (Museum of Contemporary Arts).

One look at Oodi and you know you’re being sent a message. Public libraries matter. And what better way to proclaim their importance than by investing in them and by having the best architects design them?

Much the same is being declared at Kiasma, that part of the Finish National Gallery that houses the contemporary art collection. It opened first in 1998. With its sweeping and curving ramps, it reminded me of the Guggenheim in New York, but this is a place with a character all of its own. Its polished concrete floors and roughly textured white walls are a suitably blank space that allows the artworks to shine. My own visit coincided with ARS22, the tenth installment of an exhibition (first launched in 1961) that aims to present the latest trends in contemporary art. It’s the perfect place to see and experience some of the most challenging and provocative types of art.

Bravo Helsinki!