This summer, art history students will once again organise walking tours that explore University buildings and the treasures within. Approximately 60 one-hour tours, available to all for no charge, will be given on all campuses by a total of 11 guides.
Hanna Hannus, student of art history and this summer’s coordinator, notes that the guided tours have expanded each year.
“This year’s new tour will present the latest architecture on the City Centre Campus. The participants will visit Kaisa House and possibly the fairly recently completed building for the Swedish School of Social Science. The student guides will describe not only the history and architectural features of the buildings, but also the style or period they represent,” Hannus says.
Tours for new members of the University community
The first art historical walking tours will take place in mid-June, and the tours will continue throughout the summer until early autumn.
“This year we’ll be offering more tours in late August and early September. We hope that new members of the academic community will join a tour to learn more about the University,” Hannus adds.
Most of the tours will take place in the afternoon. Three Swedish-language tours and one English-language tour of the City Centre Campus will be given alongside Finnish-language tours. Groups can also book tours for a small charge.
See the University through new eyes
What can a one-hour walking tour offer to members of the academic community? Hanna Hannus promises surprising perspectives on well-known facilities.
“The University buildings shed light on society at the time of their construction and help us understand how universities were perceived at the time. The guides will share stories about both the architecture and the history of the buildings. The guided tours are an opportunity to visit buildings you wouldn’t otherwise enter. I’d also encourage everyone to visit another campus to explore the architecture there,” says Hannus.
The tours of the City Centre Campus will answer the questions posed at the beginning of this article.