Early Grand Duchy period: Neoclassicism and Gothic revival Architecture of Finland



johan albrecht ehrenström, final city plan helsinki (1817).


the cornerstone of finland state laid in 1809 @ diet of porvoo, czar alexander proclaimed himself constitutional ruler of new grand duchy of finland , promised maintain faith , laws of land. creation of capital clear indication of czar s make new grand duchy functioning entity. on april 8, 1812 alexander declared helsinki capital of grand duchy of finland. @ time helsinki small wooden town of 4000 inhabitants, albeit huge island fortress of sveaborg , military garrison nearby. czar appointed military engineer johan albrecht ehrenström, former courtier of sweden s king gustavus iii, head of reconstruction committee, task of drawing plan new stone-built capital. heart of scheme senate square, surrounded neoclassical buildings state, church , university. in words of art historian riitta nikula, ehrenström created symbolic heart of grand duchy of finland, main institutions had exact place dictated function in hierarchy.


in fact, before ceding of finland russia in 1809, advent of neoclassicism in mid-18th century arrived french artist-architect louis jean desprez, employed swedish state, , designed hämeenlinna church in 1799. charles (carlo) bassi foreigner, italian-born architect employed swedish state, worked in design of churches. bassi immigrated finland , became first formally skilled architect settle permanently in finland. in 1810 bassi appointed first head of national board of building (rakennushallitus - government post remained until 1995), based in turku, position held until 1824. bassi remained in finland after power on country ceded russia. in 1824 official position head of national board of building taken immigrant architect, german-born carl ludvig engel.


with move of finnish capital turku helsinki, engel had been appointed czar alexander design major new public buildings fitted ehrenström s town plan: these included major buildings around senate square; senate church, helsinki university buildings - including engel s finest interior, helsinki university library (1836–45) - , government buildings. these buildings designed following dominant architectural style of russian capital, st. petersburg, namely neoclassicism - making helsinki termed st. petersburg in miniature, , indeed ehrenström s plan had included canal, mimicking cityscape feature of former.




helsinki senate square, designed carl ludwig engel. left: helsinki university main building, senate church, palace of council of state


in addition work in helsinki, engel appointed state intendant responsibility design , supervision of construction of vast majority of state buildings throughout country, including tens of church designs, design , laying out of town plans. among these works helsinki naval barracks (1816–38), helsinki old church (1826), lapua church (1827), kärsämäki church (1828), pori town hall (1831), hamina church (1843), wiurila manor house (1845).


engel had in possession copy of andrea palladio s architectural treatise quattro libri dell architettura, , engel scholars have stressed engels indebtedness palladian theory. engel kept correspondence colleagues germany , followed trends there. engel s relationship key prussian architect karl friedrich schinkel, 3 years senior , both having studied @ bauakademie in berlin, has yet verified. influences central europe take on board more formulaic process, typified standardisations of design formulas in post-revolutionary france jean-nicolas-louis durand, instance use of design grids.


some of engel s later works characterised turn in central europe gothic revival architecture, emphasis on red brick facades typical central europe. german church (1864) typical of period, though designed 2 itinerant architects, german harald julius von bosse (who had worked in st. petersburg) , swedish-born carl johan von heideken. in addition churches, neo-gothic style dominant buildings of growing industrial manufacturers, including verla mill in jaala (1892) - nowadays world heritage site - designed edward dippel. emergence of various revivalist styles throughout europe - in search new national style - felt in finland, not flourish until advent of jugendstil @ end of century; argument made influence in finland of neo-romanesque or rundbogenstil germany, particularly associated heinrich hübsch. example, rundbogenstil features have been noted in kerimäki church (1847) - world s largest wooden church - designed adolf fredrik granstedt, considerable input master builders project axel tolpo , son th. j. tolpo.


































the eclectic mixtures of neo-gothic, neo-romanesque, neo-classical , neo-renaissance architecture continued during beginning of 20th century, architects using different styles different projects or combining elements in same work. turku main library, karl august wrede, completed in 1903, designed in dutch late renaissance style imitating house of nobility of 1660 designed french architect simon de la vallée. swedish architect georg theodor von chiewitz had successful career in home country before arriving in finland in 1851, fleeing prison sentence in sweden following bankruptcy, , established career himself, being named county architect turku , pori in 1852. among varied works, designed new baroque-style town plans towns of pori (1852), maarianhamina (Åland islands) (1859) , nystad (1856), english-style romantic landscape park seinäjoki (1858), neo-gothic churches lovisa (1865) , nystad (1864), rundbogenstil-neo-gothic lovisa town hall , house of nobility in helsinki (1862), neo-renaissance nya teatern, helsinki (1853, burnt down 1863) redbrick factory buildings in littoinen, turku, forssa , tampere , various rustic villas private clients. similar eclecticism continued 1 of chiewitz s employees, theodor höijer (1843-1910), went on establish 1 of commercially successful private architecture firms in helsinki, designing tens of buildings in helsinki, schools, librarys , several apartment blocks. 1 of famous works, redbrick erottaja fire station, helsinki (1891) seen mixture of neo-gothic , neo-renaissance styles modelled on giotto s campanile in florence , tower of medieval palazzo vecchio in florence.


however, question of stylistic revival in finland has important cultural-political aspect, presence of russian empire through building of russian orthodox churches in second half of 19th century - though regarded initiation of deliberate politico-cultural policy of russification of finland didn t take place until reign of czar nicholas ii, 1899 onward. initially, in russian capital, st. petersburg, russian orthodox churches designed in prevailing neoclassical style; however, latter half of 19th century saw emergence of russian revival architecture , byzantine revival architecture - part of interest in russia in finland , elsewhere in europe of exploring nationalism - distinct onion domes , tented roofs , rich decoration. several such churches built in finland, vast majority in eastern half of country, notable examples in tampere, kuopio, viinijärvi , kouvola. example, sveaborg church (1854) in fortress off coast of helsinki, designed moscow-based architect konstantin thon, same architect designed, among other key buildings, cathedral of christ saviour, grand kremlin palace , kremlin armoury in moscow. presence of orthodox church in heart of helsinki made clear placement of uspenski cathedral (1868) on prominent hill overlooking city; architect, aleksey gornostayev 1 of pioneers of russian revival architecture, credited rebirth of traditional tented roof architecture of northern russia, prominent feature in uspenski cathedral.


































this period marked establishment of first architecture courses in finland, , in 1879 these began @ polytechnical institute in helsinki, though @ first german or german-educated teachers. other finns went abroad various periods of time study. in fact, jacob rijf (1753-1808) noted first finn have studied architecture @ royal swedish academy of arts in stockholm in 1783-84, though rare exception. became notable designer of churches throughout finland, including hyrynsalmi church (1786) , oravais church (1797). 1 hundred years later still quite rare; e.g. notable revivalist-style architect karl august wrede studied architecture in dresden, , theodor höijer @ royal swedish academy of arts in stockholm. also, gustaf nyström studied both architecture , town planning in vienna in 1878-79. buildings typical of eclecticism of time, designing in both gothic revival style , so-called neo-renaissance style of classicism, heavy ornamentation heavy use of colour in interiors in facades, instance house of estates, helsinki (1891). semi-circular rotonda (1902–07), gustaf nyström s design extension c.l. engel s neoclassical helsinki university library (1845), demonstrates both outwardly stylistic continuity original - albeit pilasters have not classical capitals reliefs, made sculptor walter runeberg, personifying sciences - whilst employing modern techniques in art nouveau interior: semicircular 6-storey extension comprises large light-well surrounded radially placed bookshelves. due stringent fire-safety requirements, extension has framework of steel , reinforced concrete, reinforced concrete stairs, iron construction supporting large glazed roof , metal windows. after graduating @ polytechnical institute, usko nyström (no relation) had continued studies @ École des beaux-arts in paris in 1890-91; on returning finland designed (from 1895 1908 in partnership usko nyström-petrelius-penttilä) neo-renaissance architecture - in particular gaining growth area of building speculation in middle-class apartment buildings in helsinki - whilst developing more jugendstil style inspired national romanticism, , politically pro-independence fennoman movement. usko nyström s chief work, grand hôtel cascade, imatra (1903) (nowadays called imatran valtionhotelli), key jugendstil style building; wilderness hotel , built next impressive imatra rapids (the biggest in finland), intended wealthy tourists russian imperial capital of saint petersburg, while architectural style inspired finnish national romanticism, whilst taking inspiration partly medieval , neo-renaissance french châteaux usko nyström had seen during time in france.


































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