Sites and stories: Iida and Kortepohja

I lived the first years of my childhood in a colourful neighbourhood of Jyväskylä, Kortepohja, in a green terraced house. Although I don't recall much from those years, I do remember the moments in the close-quartered courtyard and the nearby park, where I always bumped into other families and children. Because of the slightly poor soundproofing, even inside the house it sometimes felt as if we were spending time with the family next door. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I felt cosy and safe.

Later, after we had already moved away, I found out that this area is a built cultural heritage site of national significance and one of the architectural gems of Jyväskylä. Designed by Bengt Lundsten and Esko Kahri and completed between 1968 and 1970, the residential area was inspired by traditional Finnish wooden towns with a grid plan where housing is compact and the social character of courtyards is emphasised.

The houses are flat-roofed, two-storey, prefabricated concrete buildings. The area was a pioneer in Finland in combining a compact grid plan with low-rise construction. The wooden facades are painted red, yellow or green. These elements give the area a coherent visual appearance.

What fascinates me about the area is the scale of the buildings and the unified courtyards. Cars are parked in a separate car park, and green walkways run through the blocks, making the area perfect for children to run around. Bicycle storage, maintenance buildings and playgrounds are located in the centre of the blocks. The design really does support people's everyday encounters, which can leave warm memories for years to come.

Iida Jalkanen is our communications intern this autumn. In January 2025, after the internship and commuting to Helsinki from her current hometown, Tampere, she will pursue a master’s degree in communications at Tampere University.

Read about Kortepohja in Finnish Architecture Navigator.