SAVON-RADAN Hiirola railway station
open 1.10.1889
closed 29.5.1983
architect Knut Nylander
until the 90ties in use as post office
A nice view of the railway area of Hiirola around 1965, image
Jukka Hotokka.
From left to right: North and west, east, and south and west
orientation.
National Archive of Finland - Helsinki
The Hiirola station is built after the design of the railway
architect Knut Nylander. This characteristic design is used for over
40 railway stations in Finland. Most can be found along the Savo
line and Oulu line.
map ground floor Hiirola station 1889, 1934, 1952, 1970, 1987
As the railway developed during the decades the building was changed
several times.
After the final closing in the nineties the building and its
environment fell into decay.
In 2011 a new owner started with building a new future for this
remarkable building. After one year it was possible to start living
in it and the ongoing renovation will be done while living in it.
Since autumn 2012 the Dutch artist
Marja de Jong
is living and working in the building. She takes care of the
maintenance and renovation of the building and yard. She has an own
atelier in one of the rooms.
The railway station is housing the Finnish art and culture
association AREFS
taide ja kulttuuri ry and the child art and art education
archives and the art collection of the
Dutch Foundation
AllaprimA.
The railway station in Hiirola is the base for various art
activities on local level as well as international.
image © 1987 Jukka Martio
The railway station in 1987, the maintenance of the building and the
gardens makes it representative for a rural Finnish railway station.
The use as post office ended in the 90ties. After that the decay of
the environment and the building started.
In 2011 a new owner has taken care of the building and started
carefully a renovation of the building as well as the 'garden'. It
will take many years to bring back the old status of the station,
but by a new content it got already a new life and future. The
community of Hiirola is involved in the reconstruction of the place
and its environment.
The Hiirola railway station is developing into a small rural art
center and art community. The station buildings are housing the art
activities, archive and presentations of the art and culture
association AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry and the Dutch Foundation
Stichting AllaprimA.
The Dutch artist Marja de Jong has her studio in the railway
station.
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