Puistola residents raise funds to buy abandoned school

Residents of Puistola in Helsinki are crowdfunding to buy a nearly century-old former school from the city, Yle reports. They hope to turn the long-empty building into a meeting place for local groups, creative businesses and small firms.

The school has been vacant since 2015. Its windows are boarded up and its walls covered in graffiti. The Puistola Friends of the Folk School association is leading the campaign, with support from local organisations including a music school, a sports club and an arts school.

More than 300 people have contributed about 26,000 euros so far. The campaign aims to raise 50,000 euros, but the city has not yet set a sale price. Helsinki’s urban environment division has agreed to let the potential buyers negotiate before the building is possibly put up for auction.

“There is a great shortage of premises for residents, cultural groups and small businesses here. This would be very suitable for that purpose,” said Juhani Viilo, chair of the association.

The group hopes the first tenants could move in early next year if the plan proceeds. If the purchase falls through, contributors will receive most of their money back, Viilo said.

The building underwent renovation in the early 2000s before leaving school use in 2015. In a thesis approved at Aalto University in August, architect Olli Erlund examined why it became vacant. He identified decisions favouring larger school centres for financial reasons, as well as ventilation problems after the system was changed from natural to mechanical.

Before the building can be used again, its electrical systems, pipes and ventilation need work, along with interior repairs. Viilo and Erlund believe it can be refurbished for local groups. They support reusing old buildings rather than demolishing them and building anew.

Demand for public buildings is also declining elsewhere in Finland. Kuntaliitto, an association representing Finnish local authorities, estimates that the need for school premises will fall by 1.4 million square metres by 2030.

Last spring, more than 180 people joined a volunteer clean-up at the school to remove damage caused by vandalism. Participants brought their own brushes and dustpans to clear hundreds of kilos of broken glass, Viilo said.