Pori’s long-awaited cultural heritage storage centre gains traction elsewhere—but not at home

A proposal by residents of Pori to establish a central storage facility for the city’s scattered museum collections has been warmly received in Finland’s larger cities—yet the project remains stalled in Pori itself, Yle reports.

Much of the material held by Pori’s museums is currently stored in inadequate, high-risk conditions, spread across multiple locations. Juhani Ruohonen, former director of the Satakunta Museum, calls the situation “highly regrettable” for the preservation of cultural heritage.

“Many works are crammed into spaces too small for proper access or use,” Ruohonen said. “In principle, a collection centre would function like a high-quality product warehouse, ensuring the right conditions for these valuable items.”

The city of Pori has made several decisions over the past two decades to establish such a facility, but each initiative has ultimately failed.

During a panel discussion at Kulturhuset Fiini in Pori on Tuesday, Rauma’s museum and culture director Risto Kupari estimated the cost of a collection centre at roughly €10 million. Ruohonen suggested the figure could be lower, noting that state subsidies have typically supported similar projects.

“Pori once allocated €1.5 million for this, but even that plan collapsed,” Ruohonen recalled.

Mikael Ropo (National Coalition Party), chair of Pori’s city board, acknowledged the urgent need for better storage solutions. “These collections should be accessible—displayed in schools, workplaces, anywhere people can see them,” he said.

Ruohonen first developed the concept over 20 years ago. He remembers presenting the idea alongside then-Pori Art Museum director Esko Nummelin at a 2000s event hosted by the Finnish Heritage Agency in Helsinki.

“Our proposal was met with great enthusiasm. We were praised for being ahead of other cities,” Ruohonen said. “Since then, collection centres have been built in many municipalities—but not in Pori.”

The city council is expected to address the project’s future alongside major investment decisions this spring.