Olla designed the restoration of a culturally and historically valuable campus area

Omnia Finns

Location: Espoo, Finland
Completition year: 2023
Area: 2000 m²
Client: Omnia – the Joint Authority of Education in the Espoo region

Photos: Martin Sommerschield, Olla Architecture

Omnia is an educational and development center in Espoo, offering diverse training and workforce services while promoting lifelong learning and skill development. One of the center’s campuses is located in Finnsinmäki, a part of historic Espoo. Originally built as a school, Finnsin campus has a rich history that extends to the nearby Espoon Kartano, dating back to the late 1700s, and the Mankby area across the road, which preserves some of Finland’s best-preserved medieval village plots. Some of the renovated buildings in the project are protected structures from the 1800s and 1900s.

The restored campus is owned and managed by the Espoo Joint Authority for Education, Omnia. Some of the oldest buildings on the site required renovation; in a demanding restoration project, the main building completed in 1897 and the internat accommodation from 1919 underwent significant improvements.

The precise and careful renovation work on the protected buildings was carried out in close collaboration with the city museum and building control. The history and different phases of the area were carefully investigated.

The design was carried out in collaboration with Sweco‘s structural and technical design department. Additionally, close collaboration with the city museum and building inspection was crucial: the restoration work in protected buildings demanded precision and experience. The history and different phases of the area were thoroughly investigated.

The entire facade of the main building was renewed and restored, including the creative tower that defines the place’s identity. Structural elements were also replaced, such as straightening the tower.

The red accommodation building underwent extensive renovation, with almost the entire second floor needing replacement due to timber decay issues. The building, with its varied quality repairs over the decades, was meticulously restored to its original appearance, including precious unique details.