Artist’s abodes / Rafael Wardi. New exhibition space and artist’s residences as a result of adaptive reuse of the winter garden in the former mental hospital in Nikkilä

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis

Authors

Date

2025-05-21

Department

Major/Subject

Interior Architecture

Mcode

Degree programme

Master’s programme in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Architec

Language

en

Pages

214

Series

Abstract

The thesis examines the area of ​​the former mental hospital in Nikkilä, northeast of Helsinki. The hospital, active from 1914 to 1999, today appears as a predominantly residential suburb where art and culture have found their space in Artborg 35, a cultural and exhibition center, and in K17. This, born from the intuition of young local artists to take over the former hospital winter garden, is currently a multidisciplinary exhibition space. All that remains of this building is the central body and the ruins of one of the former glasshouses. Portions of the exterior walls, once made of glass, have been replaced with cheap materials and the ruin is not easily accessible due to multiple obstacles. The purpose of this investigation is to explore the possibilities of intervention on building 17, on three levels. Adaptive reuse, through targeted actions, aims at improving its general conditions and usability by the artists’ collective, taking care of the internal circulation, improving the insulation and consequently the aesthetic aspect of the non-authentic parts. Additionally, it seeks to include the ruins under a protective structure, transforming it into an additional exhibition space and, finally, to explore the potential of the area through the addition of three buildings. Part of the aim of this project is to offer residences to artists invited or selected by K17. The concept of living and working in the same space was central in the design phase, to offer a solution in which multiple spaces are compacted in the same structure while still ensuring privacy and a separation between life and work. This thesis contributes to giving options on how to improve the conditions of the building, offering concrete support to K17, allowing it to exploit all the available space. Moreover, with the new residences, the possibility of attracting a greater number of artists opens up, expanding its network and their recognition as a reality well-rooted in the territory. This helps ensure the legacy of the hospital area to be known and appreciated by an increasingly wider audience of people for its high historical and architectural value.

Description

Supervisor

Kareoja, Pentti

Thesis advisor

Marila, Sasu

Keywords

adaptive reuse, Nikkilä’s mental hospital, sustainable design, artist’s residence, exhibition space, CLT

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Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202506174813

Collections

[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS