Turku Conservatory - Turku, Finland
Posted by: 
hanzibanzi
N 60° 26.325 E 022° 14.377
34V E 568222 N 6700917
The premises of Turku Conservatory were built inside an old shipyard hall and a rope factory. The renovation was succesfully completed in 1994 and one year later, in 1995, it received the Europa Nostra award.
Waymark Code: WMNX7K
Location: Finland
Date Posted: 05/17/2015
Views: 61
The marine industry has a long history in Finland and in Turku. While the docks have been moved further away from the city, remains of old factories and ship cranes still serve as reminders on the banks of River Aura not far from the center of the city.
A lot of old buildings have been mercilessly demolished during the past decades to make way for more modern buildings. Fortunately, in some cases the old buildings have been brought back to life by reinventing their uses.
This is exactly what happened to an old shipyard hall and a retired rope factory which were transformed into a modern conservatory. The renovation was completed in 1994 and it was instantly heralded as an outstanding architectural union between old and new.
Aside from receiving the Europa Nostra award in 1995, the conservatory has also received the following accolades:
- Winner of the Steel Structure Award chosen by the Finnish Constructional Steelwork Association in 1994
- Winner of the ECCS European Steel Construction Award in 1995
- Nominated for the 6th Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture in 1999
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4