Pori gate, Pori, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Pori Gate (Porin portti) is a red tile artwork by the Danish artist Per Kirkeby, set in the Eteläpuisto park in the centre of Pori, Finland. It marks one of the city's four central parks and ties the modern townscape to the red brick that shaped older Pori.

The story behind it

Pori's centre is laid out around four parks, planted so that fire could not easily jump from one part of the city to another. The Pori Gate is said to point toward each of those parks, so it works as a marker for the city's layout as well as a piece of art.

The work was revealed in 1993 by Per Kirkeby (1938-2018), a Danish painter, sculptor and architect-minded artist who was one of the best-known figures in Nordic art. Kirkeby often worked in brick, and the red tiles here echo the colour of older buildings in Pori. One example is the university building by the river, which used to be a cotton factory.

What to look for

• The red tile structure itself: look at how the tiles are laid and how the gate frames the view through the park.
• The four directions: stand beneath it and notice how it opens toward the parks that cross the city centre.
• The park setting: the wide green strip is the firebreak idea in practice, with buildings set back on either side.
• The school of Cygnaeus at the end of the park, a handsome building that makes a good backdrop when you walk on.

Tips for your visit

• It is an outdoor artwork in a public park, so you can see it from all sides at any time. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough for a good look.
• Soft daylight brings out the colour of the red tiles best, and a clear day makes the green of the park stand out against them.
• Combine it with a stroll along the park toward the school of Cygnaeus and the other central parks.
• Compare the tiles with other red brick buildings in Pori, including the former cotton factory by the river, which now houses university facilities.

See it on a quest

Bear hunt in Pori is a good way to see the Pori Gate. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the city centre, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot rather than just walking past. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.