Passengers arriving in Finland get to admire Finnish art already while waiting for their luggage. Finnish nature and technological expertise meet in the luggage lobby redesigned by the internationally acclaimed interior decoration architect and sculptor Stefan Lindfors.

According to Stefan Lindfors, the new look for Helsinki Airport’s luggage lobby Exit 2B simply represents Finland.

– Many airports are very similar in style, whether you are in the Nordic countries, Central Europe or the United States. I want all my work to really stand out from the others. I want the passengers arriving in the lobby to experience something unique and to feel that they have just arrived in Finland, Lindfors explains.

The redesign has been carried out respecting the old design. The hall has been given a modern look whilst preserving its original features. The main theme is Finnish nature.

The ceiling of the lobby has been covered with fabric representing wings and designed exclusively for Finavia by Lindfors. Live footage of nature is projected on one of the walls. Glass showcases placed in between the luggage claim belts present Finnish plants and forest wildlife acquired with the EU’s permission. The walls of the lobby are decorated with a circuit board pattern, hand-drawn by Lindfors. It is an homage to Finnish IT expertise.

Using art to stand out from the crowd

Finavia and Stefan Lindfors have worked together for years. Lindfors’ Concorde sculpture that resembles a dragonfly was unveiled in 1993 and is still on display at Helsinki Airport, which is also known as the art airport. In autumn 2013, Lindfors designed an over 20-metre tall sculpture called Aviator Solaris for Vaasa Airport.

– Helsinki Airport is Finland’s business card and for many passengers the first contact with Finland. That is why it is important that we stand out from other airports in a surprising way. A memorable arrival lobby will leave a positive impression on a passenger and that might make the passenger travel via Helsinki Airport also the next time, says Ville Haapasaari the director of Finavia’s Helsinki Airport.

Helsinki Airport has, for example, a free art gallery and changing art exhibitions. There are impressive pieces of art on display at various locations at the airport.

Aiming at smoother and more enjoyable travelling experience

Finavia invests strongly in the development of Helsinki Airport and improving the passenger experience. The current €900 million development programme prepares the airport to serve about 20 million passengers per year by 2020.

At the same time, approximately 70 new shops and restaurants will be opened at the airport. In spring 2015, a new restaurant complex with a wide range of restaurants will be opened in the Arrivals 2A lobby. In addition, services for arriving passengers will be centralised to make them easier to access.