Building memories ...

This week, the builders took down the plastic sheeting and scaffolding and unveiled the construction opposite my apartment this week. It was not quite as exciting as unwrapping a present, but it does look marginally more attractive now than it has done during construction.

It is a new building for the University of Helsinki, which has a lot of property in this area. I am not sure whether it is going to be student accommodation, or teaching rooms, or something else, but I am sure I will find out later this year.

Construction started last October, just after my parents had been over to visit. According to my landlady's agent, construction should be finished on August 14 this year. I love the idea that they are confident enough not just to state the month, but go right down to the day, I don't thinky you would get that from British builders! As well as causing some disruption with reduced parking in the street, the footpath which went down the side of the building has been temporarily diverted, though through a charming group of university buildings with an old cobbled yard.

The second photo shows how the space looked before, my Dad took this shot when he was here. At least some of the large trees have been preserved, so that once the building is finished, it will look like it has been part of the cityscape for a while. But it doesn't give me quite the same view from the balcony.