Press Release 20 February 2025
Measured and Drawn Exhibition Showcases Documented Buildings in Finland
Opening on 15th March at Serlachius, the Measured and Drawn exhibition presents measurement drawings of old buildings made in Mänttä and the nearby Huhkojärvi farm. These drawings were created during the summer of 2023 at measurement camps organised for the international VERNADOC architectural network and Finnish architecture students.
Twelve architects from the VERNADOC network drew the buildings of the Huhkojärvi farm, which dates back to the 1920s. Architecture students from Tampere University documented the buildings in Mänttä.
VERNADOC is an international network of architects dedicated to documenting vernacular architecture through drawing. The network includes over a thousand architects from dozens of countries, and several measurement camps are held worldwide each year. The VERNADOC camps and network were initiated in the 1990s by Finnish architect Markku Mattila.
The Huhkojärvi farm, located near Mänttä, was established in the 1920s by Gösta Serlachius (1876–1942), the managing director of the paper industry company G. A. Serlachius Ltd. Gösta Serlachius also amassed a significant art collection and founded a fine art foundation bearing his name. The Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation continues its operations today and maintains a substantial art collection and two museums in Mänttä.
“The buildings of Huhkojärvi represent Gösta Serlachius’ ideal vision of Finnish national construction. Most of the buildings were designed by sculptor Hannes Autere in collaboration with architect W. G. Palmqvist”, explains Milla Sinivuori-Hakanen, Senior Curator at the Serlachius Museums.
Long tradition of measurement drawings
Second-year architecture students from Tampere University spent a week in Mänttä in autumn 2023, measuring and studying buildings of various ages. The camp focused on different residential buildings, and the measurement drawings started during the camp were completed over the winter.
“Measurement drawings are needed, for example, when renovating an old building that lacks original drawings. Creating these drawings has been part of architectural education in Finland for over a hundred years”, says Milla Sinivuori-Hakanen.
The exhibition features a total of 65 drawings of 17 different sites. Each site includes a brief introduction, but the entire history of the buildings is not presented. All drawings were made traditionally on paper. The original drawings by architecture students are on display, while the VERNADOC group’s drawings are shown as prints.
The Measured and Drawn exhibition is open at the Serlachius Headquarters from 15th March 2025 to 1st March 2026.
Press releases and photographs: https://serlachius.fi/en/for-media
For further information and image requests, please contact:
Milla Sinivuori-Hakanen, Senior Curator, Serlachius, tel. +358 (0)40 723 1598, milla.sinivuori-hakanen@serlachius
Serlachius is open:
in the winter season, 1 September–31 May, from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am–6 pm
in the summer season, 1 June–31 August, every day 10 am-6 pm
Visiting addresses:
Serlachius Manor, Joenniementie 47, Mänttä, Finland
Serlachius Headquarters, R. Erik Serlachiuksen katu 2, Mänttä, Finland
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