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RKY: nationally significant built cultural environments · Finland

Vekaranjärven kasarmialue

Kouvola, Kymenlaakso, Finland

The record

Type
Nationally significant built cultural environment (RKY)
Elements (as the agency lists them)
kasarmi, urheilurakennus
Character (as the agency lists it)
metsämaisema
Municipality
Kouvola
Region
Kymenlaakso
Country
Finland
Coordinates
61.11332, 26.98372
Pin
Placed by TreeAlive at the centre of the largest area the agency maps
RKY number
1436

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Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica)

The 1666 map covering this location: "Finlande Septentr.le, et Merid.le, Nylande, et Tavasthus" (Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica)).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1666 · Finlande Septentr.le, et Merid.le, Nylande, et Tavasthus (Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica))

Get directions ↗

This area in the Finnish Heritage Agency's RKY inventory ↗

The Finnish Heritage Agency's description

Vekaranjärven kasarmialue on korkeatasoinen esimerkki 1960-luvun betonikonstruktivismista ja se sisältyy kansainvälisen DOCOMOMO-järjestön hyväksymään suomalaisen modernin arkkitehtuurin merkkiteosvalikoimaan. Varuskunta kuuluu 1960-luvulla perinteisistä kaupunkikasarmeista asutuksen ulkopuolelle rakennettuihin ns. korpivaruskuntiin.

Arkkitehti Osmo Lapon suunnittelemassa Vekaranjärven kasarmikokonaisuudessa yhdistyvät moderni arkkitehtuuri ja moderni taide. Kasarmit on sijoitettu riviin harjulle ja varuskunnan keskusaukiota rajaavat alueen keskeiset rakennukset urheilutalo, sotilaskoti, elokuvateatteri Kaartinkino ja ruokala.

1950-luvulta alkaen varuskuntia pyrittiin sijoittamaan kaupunkien ulkopuolelle, sillä sotateknologian kehittyminen vaati entistä laajempia harjoitusalueita. Vekaranjärven kasarmit rakennettiin valtion työllisyystöinä vuosina 1966-1975. Vekaranjärven varuskunta kasvoi 1960-luvun lopussa erääksi maamme suurimmista, varusmiehiä oli lähes 3 000 ja henkilökuntaa 600. Alueen rakennuksia suunnittelivat Osmo Lapon lisäksi myös arkkitehdit Pekka Rajala (mm. keskusvarasto, tykkihalleja) ja Timo Penttilä (asuinrakennuksia).

Osmo Lappo, Vekaranjärvi/kasarmialueen keskus, Valkeala.
Arkkitehti 1/1975.

Do.co.mo.mo. Modernismin merkkiteoksia Suomen arkkitehtuurissa. Alvar Aalto Akatemia, docomomo Suomi-Finland ry, Suomen rakennustaiteen museo. Helsinki 2002.

English translation (from the Finnish)

The text above is the record as published by the Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto), in Finnish. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto); it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

The Vekaranjärvi barracks area is a high-quality example of 1960s concrete constructivism and is included in the selection of Finnish modern architecture landmark works approved by the international DOCOMOMO organisation. In the 1960s the garrison belonged to the so-called korpivaruskunnat, garrisons built outside settlements, as distinct from traditional urban barracks.

In the Vekaranjärvi barracks complex designed by architect Osmo Lappo, modern architecture and modern art come together. The barracks are arranged in a row on a ridge, and the principal buildings framing the garrison's central square are the sports hall, soldiers' home, Kaartinkino cinema and canteen.

From the 1950s onwards, garrisons were increasingly located outside towns, as the development of military technology required ever larger training areas. The Vekaranjärvi barracks were built as state employment-relief projects in 1966-1975. At the end of the 1960s the Vekaranjärvi garrison grew into one of the country's largest, with almost 3 000 conscripts and 600 staff.

In addition to Osmo Lappo, the buildings in the area were also designed by architects Pekka Rajala (including the central storehouse and gun halls) and Timo Penttilä (residential buildings).

Descriptions are shown with the written permission of the Finnish Heritage Agency and reproduced unchanged. Locations come from its open spatial data; pins are placed by TreeAlive. Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto) · Spatial data: CC BY 4.0
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