Heikkilän kasarmialue (Heikkilä kasern)

English translation (from the Finnish)

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Description

The construction of the Heikkilä barracks area for the needs of the Russian Baltic Fleet at the beginning of the 20th century, and its development for use by the Finnish Defence Forces, has produced a diverse and relatively distinctive built military environment.

The Heikkilä barracks area lies behind Korppolaisvuori hill, south-west of the Turku city centre, bordering the sea shore. The majority of the building stock dates from the early 20th century and from the decades of the late 20th century. The main result of the earliest building phase, a large troop barracks, has survived as a dominant element of the views. The Baroque-tinged exterior architecture of this impressive building, which represents Russian military architecture of the early 20th century in Finland, uses risalits and a variation of bare and rendered brick walls. During the renovation begun in 1967, a canteen wing was added on the extension of the building's transverse axis, a fine example of combining old and new architecture.

Heikkilä's diverse building stock comprises buildings from the 1910s near the main building, and newer buildings from later periods, for example the equipment store and the classroom building. On the hill next to the main building stands the soldiers' home, completed in 1954, whose designer, Osmo Lappo, later worked as architect of the central parts of the new barracks areas.

History

The Heikkilä barracks area originated at the beginning of the 20th century as the accommodation area of the Russian Baltic Fleet, but also, among other things, as a naval air station. During 1918 the barracks area passed into Finnish hands, and training of pilots and other personnel of the Finnish Air Force was started in the area.

The main building, completed in 1917, was originally designed as a naval hospital, but because of the ongoing war it was turned into a troop barracks for Russian forces. The building served as a troop barracks until the late 20th century. From 1967 the barracks was the garrison of the Varsinais-Suomen Ilmatorjuntarykmentti.

After its conversion into an office building, the main building has housed various organisations of the defence administration.