Long-lost Paavo Tynell chandeliers restored to Helsinki’s Postitalo after decades in storage

The historic chandeliers designed by Paavo Tynell for Helsinki’s Postitalo, missing for decades, have been reinstalled in their original locations following a two-year renovation of the protected building, property owner Ilmarinen announced.

Workers discovered the disassembled brass and glass fixtures by chance while clearing storage spaces in the building’s basement ahead of the 2023 renovation, according to Ilmarinen’s construction manager Niina Nurminen. “At first we wondered what these strange metal parts were,” Nurminen said. “Then we quickly realised they belonged to the Postisali’s missing chandeliers.”

The seven ceiling-mounted fixtures, each over three metres tall and composed of 96 delicate glass tubes, were originally installed in the building’s main hall when it opened in 1938. Photographs confirm their presence until the 1970s, but by the early 2000s they had vanished. The glass tubes were later found carefully stored on three reels in a separate basement area.

Restoration required specialist craftsmanship, with missing brass components recreated and some glass tubes replaced. Due to the fragility of the fixtures and their height—suspended from the hall’s painted blue ceiling cassettes—installation demanded additional insurance coverage.

While Tynell’s designs have fetched hundreds of thousands of euros at auction, Nurminen declined to estimate the value of the Postisali chandeliers. “They are priceless, really—unique pieces made specifically for this space,” she said.

The hall now houses the Rosebud bookshop, which relocated from Helsinki University premises last November. “The atmosphere here is almost sacred,” said deputy managing director Aino Torttila. Customers have remarked on the chandeliers’ elegance, she added, with many sharing personal connections to the building’s 88-year history.