Program ratowania Suomenlinny

• Authors: Szczerba Waldemar

Title variants

EN

THE PROGRAMME OF RESCUING SUOMENLINNA

• Languages of publication: PL EN

Abstracts

EN

From 1971 Suomenlinna, a group of fortresses — islands situated at the sea mouth to Helsinki, has been subjected to intensive conservation work. This vast programme was initiated by the Finnish government by announcing a contest for the development of islands. Out of the two equivalent winners of the 1st prize, the project of Reijo Lahtinen, chief designer and architect, was chosen and a special coordination office was opened. The office supervises all design and execution work. The whole programme had been first envisaged for 20 years, with the outlays coming to ca 340 million Finnish marks. After numerous expertises and specialized studies a plan for a detailed development was prepared in 1974 and after its approval by the Committee of Suomenlinna (government spokesman) it became a binding document. In the consciousness of the Finns Suomenlinna plays a particular role and after the completion of all conservation and investment tasks it is to be a place with highest cultural, historic and landscape values and at the same time a touristic attraction, place of recreation and an international centre of culture. We should remember at this point that Suomenlinna is a town 'district and a busy centre of everyday work and life for its inhabitants. The programme envisages a transfer of all buildings on the island for use after the completion of adaptation and conservation works, including installation ones. Until 1981 Suomenlinna was connected to town's network (water, central heating and electricity) through an under-sea tunnel (collective installation canal). Its functional programme is to harmonize with historic areas of the fortress and it has been assumed that all functions connected with the sea are best and that they continue the tradition of this place. The programme has been drawn as open in view of the impossibility to determine all users and investors at a design stage. It has been suggested that various organizations and enterprises should establish their seats there using the existing buildings for this purpose. Suomenlinna is also a housing estate. It is assumed that it will finally be inhabited by ca 2 thousand people. To carry out this project it is planned to build detached houses in order to fill up the existing buildings. Apart from that, old ships (numbering 30) will also be used for housing purposes and they will be situated on the edges of the fortress. At present a number of design offices is carrying out different work on behalf of Suomenlinna. Under way and already executed are designs for the adaptation of buildings B44 and B45 (Severi Blomstedt) for the Scandinavian Centre of Arts, projects of housing estates (A-Consultit) and a broad project for the development of islands' landscape (Helander-Leiviska). The territorial development has already been done, which enables to continu-1 the programme. To make a historic picture of the fortress clearer the programme envisages also a reconstruction of some details of the structure, e.g. a guardhouse in the courtyard of Susisaari or an orthodox church of Alexander Newski, at present a lighthouse. The reconstruction will also include parts of defence walls and ramparts. At present the Centre of Scandinavian Arts has started its activities; it is to play a leading cultural function at Suomenlinna. In this way an international character of the programme of the revitalization of the fortress is being expressed. A particular attention is being paid to developing the landscape in such a way as to acquire a full identification of a group of islands and their characteristic silhouette. The project includes all road surfaces and plants on the entire territory of Suomenlinna. Ecoloqical and sociological problems are also being studied. The thing is that while playing cultural and historic functions Suomenlinna will also be a place of living for the inhabitants who are very eager to choose it as a place of their permanent residence.

• Publisher: Narodowy Instytut Dziedzictwa
• Journal: Ochrona Zabytków
• Year: 1985
• Issue: 3-4
• Pages: 298-307

Dates

published

1985

Contributors

author

Szczerba Waldemar

• mgr inż. arch., PP PKZ - Oddział w Warszawie

References

• Ulla-Riitta Ka u p p i , Studium historyczne dla fortu Ehrensvarda wydane przez Museovirasto i Suomenlinnan Hoitokunta w 1984 r. jako część warunkow konkursowych; „Arkkitehti", Nr 4, 1980, Nr 1, 1982, Nr 3, 1983, Nr 4, 1984;
• M. S u n d m a n, Stages in the growth of a town, Helsinki 1982,

Identifiers

ISSN

0029-8247