The Government Palace closes off the eastern side of Senate Square. Designed by Carl Ludwig Engel and finished in 1822, it was originally the Imperial Senate of the Russian grand duchy and now houses the Finnish Prime Minister's office. The neoclassical front, with its central columned portico, is the architectural counterpart to the cathedral and the university across the square.
The interior is not generally open to the public, but the building hosts occasional open days (usually on Independence Day, 6 December). Walk the colonnade in front and notice the cobblestones of Senate Square — the same paving stones Engel laid 200 years ago.