Felleshus / Pan Nordic Building
The Felleshus / Pan Nordic Building, which is open to the public, combines the security, working and representation functions of all five embassies. The house also serves as central passageway to the embassies. The name Felleshus denotes the sense the building imbues and what it is used for - a house for all, a house in which to meet and interact. The Felleshus has an auditorium for concerts, readings, film viewings and conferences, exhibition spaces, conference rooms, a spacious terrace and a Nordic canteen. The facade of the building is panelled with maple wood. The entrance opens up in the form of a centrally placed glass front as high as the building. The glass-roofed entrance hall spans all floors and is flanked by slender columns. On the second floor an extensive exhibition area and the terrace open up. On the next floor is the Nordic canteen. The walls and columns in the Felleshus are made of exposed concrete. Complementing this, the use of maple wood imparts a warm, bright atmosphere. The floor is of light-coloured Swedish marble. The building is the public space for the entire complex and presents a functional, modern and inviting ambience to visitors. Embassy Complex Connections between countries and political alliances in Northern Europe have a long history. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden comprise the so-called Nordic Region and have a common representation of interests in the Nordic Council (since 1952) and in the Nordic Council of Ministers (since 1971). After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the German Parliament's resolution to relocate the capital from Bonn to Berlin, the often considered idea of a common Nordic embassy complex was able to be realised. The vision of five national embassy office buildings with one common building open to the public, the Felleshus/Common House, enclosed by a band of copper, corresponded to the fundamental idea of individual freedom, combined with a feeling of unity. The almost 230 metres long and 15 metres broad copper band is the distinguishing feature of the design of Berger and Parkkinen. It consists of approximately 4000 pre-patinated lamellas and gives the complex a unified appearance from the outside. The area inside the copper band, the plaza, is transected by geometric lines. The area within these lines forms the plaza, and the sides of the four intersecting lane strips are defined by the sides of the buildings. The lane strips form streets between the individual embassy buildings. Three water basins between the buildings are an architectural reference to the connecting seas between the Nordic countries. The embassy buildings, in turn, are grouped to correspond to the arrangement of the countries on the map.
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Nordic Countries
Nordic Facts The countries of northern Europe and their autonomous territories are often referred to as the Nordic countries. They include Denmark, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Åland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Faroe Islands and Greenland belong to Denmark. Åland is part of Finland.
> more The countries of northern Europe and their autonomous areas are often referred to as the Nordic countries. They include Denmark, Greenland, the Faeroe Islands, Finland, Åland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Faroe Islands and Greenland both belong to Denmark. Åland is part of Finland.
Altogether, about 25 million people live in the Nordic countries. The population density varies greatly: Iceland has about 3.4 inhabitants per km2, Finland 17.4 and Denmark 127.6 inhabitants per km2. (As of: 2007/2008)
The population of the capital cities ranges between one and two million with the exception of Reykjavik, Iceland, which has 191,000 inhabitants. Copenhagen, Denmark has about 1.6 million people, Helsinki, Finland 1 million, Oslo, Norway 1.05 million and Stockholm, Sweden 1.9 million people.
Denmark, Norway and Sweden are constitutional monarchies; Iceland and Finland are republics. All of the countries have democratic constitutions with roots dating back to the 19th century. The heads of state in the Nordic countries have relatively little power.
The flags of the Nordic countries have a common feature: the Scandinavian cross. The horizontal bar divides the area of the flags into two equal upper and lower halves, while the vertical bar is off-centre, closer to the hoist side. The Scandinavian cross first appeared on a Nordic flag in 1219, on the Danish Dannebrog.
< less Nordic Cooperation Nordic cooperation is based on a common cultural heritage, a common
history and common values with regard to people, democracy and justice... > more Nordic cooperation is based on a common cultural heritage, a common
history and common values with regard to people, democracy and justice. Political
cooperation between the Nordic countries was initiated in 1952 with the
founding of the Nordic Council. The Nordic Council is a form of
cooperation of the Nordic parliaments with the Council of Ministers as
the organ of the governments. Each country is represented in the
Council of Ministers with its own minister. Nordic cooperation
also takes place in areas such as economics, research, education, the
labour market, the environment and culture. Among other things, an
agreement exists concerning a common labour market, a common social
network, access to higher education, and the right to vote on a
communal level. Since 1954 citizens of the Nordic countries have been
able to cross regional borders without a passport. Denmark,
Finland and Sweden are members of the European Union. Finland uses the
euro as currency. Denmark, Iceland and Norway are members of NATO. Here you will find further information about Nordic cooperation:www.norden.orgwww.norden.iswww.norden.nowww.norden.sewww.hallonorden.orgwww.skandinavien.deFind the Nordic Houses in the Nordic Countries through the links underneath:www.bryggen.dk - The North Atlantic House in Copenhagen www.napa.gl - Nordic Institute of Greenland www.nifin.helsinki.fi - The Nordic Institute in Finnland www.nipa.ax - The Nordic Institute on Åland www.nlh.fo - Nordisches Haus auf den Faroern www.nordice.is - The Nordic House in Iceland The Nordic institutes in Berlin:www.kulturhus-berlin.de – Kulturhus – Centre for Northern European Culture and Science www.finnland-institut.de – Finland Institute < less Nordic Climate The northerly latitude and the influence of the Gulf Stream determine the climate in the Nordic countries. Generally, it is cooler than in central Europe, but the warm currents of the Gulf Stream are responsible for mild temperatures.
> more The northerly latitude and the influence of the Gulf Stream determine the climate in the Nordic countries. Generally, it is cooler than in central Europe, but the warm currents of the Gulf Stream are responsible for mild temperatures.
The average annual temperatures are relatively low. Helsinki in Finland, for instance, has an average annual temperature of 5.3°C. The Nordic countries are situated in the temperate climate zone; only Greenland, which is situated for the most part above the Arctic Circle, has a polar and subpolar climate.
In the inland areas of Norway, Sweden and Finland a typical continental climate prevails with cold winters and warm summers. Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Åland, on the other hand, have a pronounced maritime climate. Considering their latitude, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the coast of Norway have relatively high temperatures – that is because of the warming effect of the Gulf Stream.
Nordic summers are cooler than in central Europe. Summer begins later and ends earlier; the season is relatively short for fruit to mature. Nevertheless there are still some very hot summer days with temperatures over 30°C. The farther north you travel the colder it becomes. Reykjavik in Iceland, for example, has a mean July temperature of 11.2°C.
Nordic summers are characterised by extremely long, light days. From June on, north of the Arctic Circle the sun never sets. Depending on the location, the sun shines round the clock for up to four months (e.g. on Spitzbergen).
In winter, by contrast, there are long, dark polar nights. The sun remains below the horizon for many weeks at a time. In many regions there are only a few hours of daylight. For instance, Iceland has only three to four hours of daylight from November to January. The winter temperatures in the Nordic countries vary to quite an extent. In Iceland, for instance, winters are unexpectedly mild. The mean temperature in January is -0.4°C. In Finland, by contrast, temperatures of -20°C are not unusual.
< less Nordic Languages Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish are North Germanic languages and have their origin in Old Norse. Today, modern Icelandic is the closest language to Old Norse. In the Viking age (from around 750 to 1000 A.D.) and in the Early Middle Ages, dialects rather than individual languages were spoken within the Nordic linguistic area. These dialects evolved over time into individual languages that became more and more distinct from each other. Finnish belongs to the Finno-Ugric languages; it is not an Indo-European language and therefore is not a Nordic language in the linguistic sense.
> more Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Swedish are North Germanic languages and have their origin in Old Norse. Today, modern Icelandic is the closest language to Old Norse. In the Viking age (from around 750 to 1000 A.D.) and in the Early Middle Ages, dialects rather than individual languages were spoken within the Nordic linguistic area. These dialects evolved over time into individual languages that became more and more distinct from each other. Finnish belongs to the Finno-Ugric languages; it is not an Indo-European language and therefore is not a Nordic language in the linguistic sense.
People with Danish, Norwegian and Swedish as mother tongue can understand each other even when each person speaks his own language. It takes some practice, however, to achieve full understanding.
The basic vocabulary is more or less the same in the Nordic languages, although Swedish sometimes diverges from this common vocabulary. Danish differs more in the pronunciation.
Within “inter-Nordic” communication, Norwegian-speakers have the best advantage. Finns and Icelanders tend to have more difficulty with inter-Nordic communication. However, Finnish and Icelandic children usually learn one of the Nordic languages in school and are often able to communicate with Danish, Norwegian and Swedish speakers.
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