Hietalahden Kirpputori

Apparently the 'blogerati' were in Helsinki last week for a meeting at Nokia with the new ventures organization. Of course, there were blog entries about what was presumeably a secret invite-only affair but one of them posted pictures of the Hietalahden Kirpputori which happens to be right around the corner from where we live. Strangely, the photos were mostly of himself or a woman with bleached dreadlocks instead of the gorgeous kauppahalli and few of them were in focus.

The Hietalahden Kirpputori [ Hietalahti Flea Market ] is a unique spot in Helsinki since it's the only outdoor flea market in the city. The Kauppahalli is a recently restored architectural treasure built in 1903. In February, Helsinki announced that they would close most of the shops inside the kauppahalli due to budget cutbacks. Inside there remains a tiny museum display of a circa 1940 grocery stall complete with vintage goods including Nokia toilet paper. The vaulted ceilings with airy pine supports and the beautifully aged wooden stalls lend the building a comforting warmth. I don't know what the city is planning to do with the kauppahalli but I do hope they preserve the interior since buildings today don't have the same character.

The one thing that fascinates me about the kirpputori is the ebb and flow in the span of less than 10 hours. By day the lot is teeming with people and kitsch and by night it is quiet and completely vacant. I put together a small selection of photos depicting a day in the life of the Hietalahden Kirpputori.