u/Motor_Actuator_6210

Just interested in architecture and have been exploring Finnish manors this summer. There are many beautiful buildings in our country, some of which I didn't even know about! Here are some pictures of randomly chosen manors. The names and locations of the mansions can be found in the captions.

Images: https://www.tiedonportailla.fi/villatjakartanot, https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiurilan_kartano#/media/Tiedosto:Wiurilan_kartano_(83739).jpg, https://hirvihaarankartano.fi/site/assets/files/1/hhk\_hero-min.jpg,https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pukkilan\_kartano#/media/Tiedosto:Pukkilan\_kartano\_1\_AB.jpg)

Akola Manor is a protected historic country house in Ii, in North West Finland bordering Lapland. Built in 1796, it represents a rare local timber interpretation of Gustavian style manor architecture. 

The aim of the restoration was to give Akola a new life and develop meaningful approaches for reviving the countryside. The restoration was a personal project for JKMM’s founding partner Teemu Kurkela, who spent his childhood summers in Akola.

New layers of architecture create a unique minimalistic atmosphere with wholly reconfigured spaces, specifically designed modern furniture and a contemporary courtyard landscape. Using authentic traditional materials and building techniques, the aim was to achieve the longest possible lifespan for Akola’s new future. For the project, JKMM collaborated with Louekari and Nomaji Landscape Architects.

For the use of Akola, the aim is to create “Akola Friends”, a community interested in meeting of minds and in exploring what is meaningful in life.

The project was nominated for the EUmies Awards 2022. https://eumiesawards.com/heritageobject/akola-manor-restoration/

(Image sources: https://jkmm.fi/fi/work/akola-ii/, https://puuinfo.fi/arkkitehtuuri/korjaus-ja-taydennysrakentaminen/akola-ii/)

(Text source: https://jkmm.fi/work/akola-manor/)

I made a part 2 with more modern churches and also medieval ones!

Ylivieska Church was the church of the Ylivieska parish in the Diocese of Oulu and was completed in 1786. The church, built of logs, was completely destroyed in arson in March 2016. The new church, the Church of the Holy Trinity, was consecrated in 2021.

(Edit. I forgot the caption for the third picture: it's the Holy Trinity Church in Vaasa)

Images: https://www.tiedonportailla.fi/kirkot/menu.htm

Ebeneser House is a building designed by Wivi Lönn on Helsinginkatu in the Harju district of Helsinki. The house, owned by the Ebeneser Foundation, was built as a kindergarten and was completed in 1908. It was one of the first buildings in Finland designed as a kindergarten, and it also housed Finland's only kindergarten teacher seminar until 1955. The kindergarten closed in 1986 and teacher training moved out of the building in 1993. Since then, the City of Helsinki has re-established a kindergarten in the building, and the building houses, among other things, the Kindergarten Museum, maintained by the foundation.

(Text source: https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebeneser-talo)

Uspenski Cathedral (built in 1868) is the main cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Finland, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition. It is the largest Orthodox church in both Northern and Western Europe. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uspenski\_Cathedral)

Images: https://aamunkoitto.fi/videot/liturgia-uspenskin-katedraalista-19-4-2026/, https://hos.fi/, https://www.myhelsinki.fi/fi/places/uspenskin-katedraali/)

In Finland, a total number of 104 fieldstone churches were built between the 13th and 16th century, of which 83 have been preserved. Numbers include the sacristies of uncompleted churches as well as three churches in Vyborg which is now part of Russia.

The pictures show some of the Finnish churches built during that period.

Hvitträsk is an architectural museum composed of three connected buildings made of natural stone and logs, positioned on a granite cliff overlooking Lake Vitträsk. The structures integrate the natural rock formations and feature spaces that shift between residential, office, and studio areas.

The three architects Gesellius, Lindgren, and Saarinen designed and built this residential complex in 1903 as their shared home and office. The location became part of a broader movement to integrate local Finnish materials and landscapes into modern architectural practice.

The museum displays furniture, textiles, and objects that reflect the National Romantic movement in early 20th century Finnish architecture. Visitors can see how the architects lived and worked within their own spaces.

(Text: https://aroundus.com/p/7660651-hvittrask)

Ainola was the home of Finland’s national composer, Jean Sibelius, and his family from 1904 until 1969. Situated just 38km north of Helsinki by the Lake Tuusula in Järvenpää, Ainola was the perfect location to provide Jean Sibelius with the peace he needed to compose. On the forested slope of Ainola you will find the main building, a stall, a woodshed and a sauna surrounded by a garden designed by Aino Sibelius. As a part of the Lake Tuusula artistic community, a trip to Ainola is a voyage not only to Sibelius´s life but also opens a window onto the world of cultured Finnish homes in the first half of the twentieth century. Jean and Aino Sibelius’ grave is located in the garden.

Images: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainola, https://www.sibeliusseura.fi/historia/ainola.html, https://www.ainola.fi/

Text: https://www.visitfinland.com/en/product/e8263e3f-9947-4e7e-9ec6-ed5a84907ea5/ainola-the-home-of-aino-and-jean-sibelius/

Images: https://www.archdaily.com/907675/oodi-helsinki-central-library-ala-architects

Images: https://www.aalto.fi/en/locations/dipoli, https://docomomo.fi/kohteet/dipoli/

The building comprises two basis parts: a log-build “core” and a black, tarred and shingle-clad “cloak”. The space between the cloak ant the church houses the vestibules, vestry and a storeroom. A person entering the church is led through a dimly lit space towards the lighter coloured main space lit by natural light from a lantern skylight, a space for quiet contemplation. When the dark falls outside the space is lit by movable, candle-lit glass lanterns and tinplate lanterns carried by churchgoers. There is no fixed seating in the church and the altar is movable.

The building method employed generated an end result whit a unique atmosphere and finish, very seldom attained in a building today. The logs for the load bearing log frame were felled from forests owned by parish and partly transported by horse power. The logs were either hand-sawn or cut at the old sawmill. The notched corner joints were created whit traditional hand tools, axe, saw and chisel. A third of the log frame was erected on a field by the building site. When the foundations were complete the frame was moved into place and the rest of the walls were assemble to their full height. The inner and outer surfaces of the log frame were hewn whit a broad axe.

The roof structures were constructed on-site mainly of 5x5 inch sawn timber. Notched joints secured whit row wood dowels were used to join the timbers. The work was partly carried out whit old tools or tools fabricated after old models. In order to find the correct working methods, expertise was sought from a wide field of sources. 

50 000 shingles were needed for the roofing and cladding of the church. The shingles are made of aspen by splitting and then finished by whittling. Finally, they are dipped in the hot tar prior to begin fixed in place. 

Images: https://puuinfo.fi/arkkitehtuuri/julkiset-rakennukset/karsamaen-paanukirkko/

Text: https://www.archdaily.com/465128/karsamaki-church-lassila-hirvilammi

I think it looks promising and e.g. the spiralling stairway really interesting. I also like the interiors, the red parts nicely convey the Chinese tradition. Interested in hearing what you think about the building

Images: https://www.archdaily.com/1054028/snohettas-shanghai-grand-opera-house-nears-completion-ahead-of-october-opening