Kråkholman asuinalue (Bostadsområdet Kråkholmen)

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

Description

The town-plan concept of the Kråkholma residential area, which is exceptional in its planning, is based on an element tied to the area's historic land use: broad stone field walls of the 18th century, dating from the 18th century, which structure the terrain and between which the residential houses are placed radially.

Kråkholma was built as a high-standard residential area for the engineers and white-collar staff of the Schauman sulphate cellulose factory in Pietarsaari.

The town plan consists of ring-shaped streets and, along them, several square arrangements, in which the plots open radially around the squares.

The residential area, consisting of eleven blocks, is a unified whole adapted to the terrain. The area is characterised by coastal pine forest and the ground-enclosing stone field walls dating from the 18th century, which bound the plots. Thinly rendered, narrow-bodied, L-shaped houses built close together form wall-like motifs within the plots. Atrium-type courtyards emphasise the privacy of the yard areas.

History

The town plan and buildings of the Kråkholma residential area were designed by architect Egil Nordin in 1962. The area was built for the workers of the Oy Wilhelm Schauman Ab sulphate cellulose factory, which had expanded its operations. The building project was not the factory's but the City of Pietarsaari's, with the factory acting as a background influence in matters of its workers' housing. The residential buildings were mainly completed in the 1960s.