Somewhere in Eastern Finland is a former mental asylum. It was closed down in the early 2000’s and sat idle for a few years before a huge spa hotel was built on its grounds to attract Russian tourists. The most important buildings were restaurated, the largest ones were demolished.
But then there was the Z. It was one of the larger buildings, but was saved. It was not protected, and it was bought by a private investor looking to take advantage of the tourist boom in the area. However, nothing happened.
The building has a Finnish nickname, which I won’t disclose. But it has been built to the shape of the letter Z. And here it is.
When I saw the building in its current shape, I was fuming. It was yet another example of old, Bauhaus-style hospital architecture left neglected, like the monstrous tuberculosis sanatorium.
Despite my anger I decided to do a walkaround. That was when I noticed this.
When you get a chance like this, you really can’t let it pass, can you?
When I entered, I was greeted with this. In newspaper articles the owner claimed, that the heat was on and the buildings were taken care of. However it was apparent, that the heat hadn’t been on for several years. Cracking and loosening plastic floor tiles is the first indication of that. I was even more angry.
Nevertheless, I decided to explore further. I was so surprised by my successful entry, that I forgot my usual methodological approach of photographing the building from bottom to top, floor by floor.
The area I entered was rather strange. There were lots of very inconvinient spaces, which looked like some sorts of renovation attempts had been started.
This use of wood really didnt fit the architecture of the building.
And clearly whatever had been started had ended quite quickly.
Where I entered, the spaces were small, dark and quite a maze.
The building was mainly corridors. And some spaces attached to them.
Even the rooms were very narrow dead ends. The floor tiling seems original. Our bathroom in a 1930’s block of flats had a similar one.
Someone has actually taken the effort, to write ‘ass’ on the wall.
Decay could be seen everywhere in the building.
So floor one was ward two. Wonder, where the other wards were.
Well, I found another corridor.
Which actually opened up to a rather nice, light space. I also believe, that the floor tiles have been replaced on two different occasions.
These are probably former patient rooms. But I bet there were several patients in there.
So this is where the lighting of the ward was controlled from.
Wonder, which button you have to press to get to the next post.