Welcome to the tiny municipality of Oripää and to the heart of the village. Yes, this is one of the most central locations there. And this is also my first planned location of this roadtrip.
The building up front is a former workers’ co-operative headquarters. It features the old grocery store, which later became hardware store, the new, lower wing, which had housed the grocery store and restaurant. Behind the complex is a building I suspect has at some point been a mill.
A new grocery store was completed a few hundred meters away in 2020, and the premises were abandoned. They were owned by the municipality, who wanted to tear them down and replace them with something.
They didn’t quite know what to do, so they announced an architecture competition. The participants had the option to either demolish the old store seen in the picture, or to preserve it. All other buildings on the lot would be demolished.
The funny thing is that the chain, which ran Siwa stores, was bought by another chain in 2015. The store spent its last years as a K-market. Its logos have been removed, but the old Siwa markings are still there.
The old mill. There had been round, metallic silos in front of it, but they had been demolished earlier. According to aerial photos this happened between 2010 and 2015.
The old store seen from the other direction. I found it cute and hoped that it would be preserved.
The mill was in a much worse shape than the rest of the complex. It may have been abandoned earlier.
The silo foundations are now growing all kinds of things.
Like I said, all kinds of things.
The back side of the mill. Everything seemed well sealed apart from the opening in the lower corner.
Unfortunately and strangely enough, it didn’t lead anywhere. It was probably used for unloading the grain. It has since become a hangout place, it seems.
The back of the newer grocery store, which looks to be a product from the 1970’s.
The back of the mill from the other direction.
The back of the store. Looks like somebody else has been eager to get in. They’ve used much more questionable tactics than I did.
A view of the loading dock behind the store and mill.
Cameras from two eras. Not sure, if they were still working, but I did smile and wave.
It doesn’t actually say mill, it says grain facility. Same shit, different name, I think.
Wonder, what has become of the kid in the picture.
A look inside the restaurant. It wasn’t more than a small bar, but not too small for a pool table.
The architecture competition turned out to being a success. The municipality received one proposal, which was rejected, as it didn’t meet criteria. In 2022 the municipality decided to raze the whole complex.