Villa Rana is an Art Nouveau building designed by architect Yrjö Blomstedt on Seminaarinmäki in Jyväskylä. It was completed in 1905[1] and housed the drawing and sculpture rooms of the Jyväskylä seminary until the end of the 1950s. The University of Jyväskylä subsequently had offices in Villa Rana, but gave up the use of the building due to its high rent. In 2015, it was submitted to Europa Nostra's list of Europe's most endangered cultural heritage sites,[2] but it was not selected. Instead Helsinki-Malmi Airport was the chosen entry from Finland for the list.[3]
| Villa Rana | |
|---|---|
 Villa Rana and Seminaarinkatu in September 2017 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Nouveau |
| Address | Seminaarinkatu 13, 40100 |
| Town or city | Jyväskylä |
| Country | Finland |
| Coordinates | 62°14′12″N 25°44′06″E / 62.23667°N 25.73500°E |
| Owner | Keski-Suomen Suojeltavat Museokiinteistöt Oy |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Yrjö Blomstedt |
| Website | |
| https://www.villarana.fi/en/ | |
In the 1960s, the building was under threat of demolition, but it was saved when the seminary and the then College of Education took it into use.[2] In the 1960s, the building was named Rana after its frog-themed ornamentation. The workspaces of the Department of History and Ethnology and lecture halls named after Blomstedt and Samuli Paulaharju.[4][1]
In November 2016, Suomen Yliopistokinteistöt sold Villa Rana to Keski-Suomen suojeltavat museokinteistöt Oy.[5] In the summer of 2021, Kulttuuritalo Villa Rana was opened on the property.[6] It is managed by the Jyväskylä kultuturitalo tukiyhdistys ry, and permanent members are the Jyväskylä Festival Association (Jyväskylän Kesä), Central Finland Film Center, Central Finland Dance Center, Children's Music Orchestra Loiskis and Teatterikone.[7] In the building there is also a restaurant with 44 seats and terrace opening to the Botanical Garden of the University of Jyväskylä.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b University of Jyväskylä. "Jyväskylän yliopiston julkisten sisätilojen vaiheita" (in Finnish). Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
- ^ a b Vuorela, Arvo (May 7, 2015). "Villa Rana on ehdolla Suomen uhanalaisimmaksi kulttuuriperintökohteeksi". Ylen uutiset. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Europe's Most Endangered Heritage Sites 2016 Announced". Europa Nostra. March 16, 2016.
- ^ "Seminaarinmäki – Villa Rana, Yrjö Blomstedt 1902–1905" (in Finnish). University of Jyväskylä. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ "Rehtoraatille, Parviaisen talolle ja Villa Ranalle uusi omistaja". November 2016. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017.
- ^ Elomaa, Outi (June 28, 2021). "Kulttuuritalo Villa Rana raottaa jo oviaan; viime viikolla avattiin ravintola". Suur-Jyväskylän Lehti.
- ^ "Introduction". Cultural Centre Villa Rana.
- ^ "Restaurant information". Villa Rana.
External links
edit- "Culture brings Villa Rana to life". www.taike.fi. November 9, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- Janne Vilkuna, Pirjo Vuorinen (2015). "Yhtiöittäminen – valtion rakennetun kulttuuriperinnon haaksirikko?". Tahiti. Taidehistoria tieteenä (in Finnish). Retrieved October 23, 2023.
Gallery
edit-
Villa Rana building seen from the site of the Seminaarinmäki campus of the University of Jyväskylä in 2014. -
The inside of the building and the main entrance in 2017. -
A drawing class during a female seminar at Villa Rana in 1912. -
Seminar students in the handicraft class in Villa Rana in 1924.
