Cooling oasis outside Helsinki library cuts heat by up to 10 degrees

A cooling oasis has been installed outside Helsinki’s central library Oodi for August, with vegetation and water mist reducing the surrounding air temperature by up to 10 degrees, Yle reports.

The trial is intended to explore how cities can adapt to heatwaves and what heat adaptation could mean in Finland, said Heli Ponto, a senior project manager at Forum Virium Helsinki, the city’s innovation company.

High temperatures can be particularly uncomfortable in cities during prolonged heatwaves. Asphalt and concrete structures, for example, store heat effectively.

As temperatures rise because of climate change, heat must be taken into account more closely when developing urban environments, as it affects residents’ health and comfort. Creating green, shaded and cooling spaces is one way to improve urban liveability.

The trial is also intended to build knowledge and experience so that cooling solutions can be introduced more quickly when extreme heat strikes. Ponto said greater expertise and a wider range of measures would improve the city’s resilience, particularly for older people, children and those who cannot afford air conditioning.

The oasis is located in Helle Kannila Square in front of Oodi and will remain there until the end of August. It is free for everyone to use during the library’s opening hours.

Visitors can use the oasis even if there are no heatwave days in August. The area in front of Oodi is used by dancers, basketball players, children and cyclists, Ponto said, adding that they can also stop by to experience the cooling mist after becoming hot from activity.