Defence in the field of architecture: Lic.Sc. Katja Huovinen

The dissertation of Katja Huovien aims to safeguard life in historic city centres.

Lic. Sc. (architecture) Katja Huovinen will defend her dissertation Koti vaiko museo lapsillemme? Kaupunkisuojelun käytäntö kolmessa eurooppalaisessa maailmanperintökohteessa on Friday 3 March 2017.

Opponent: D.Sc. Olli-Paavo Koponen, Tampere University of Technology
Custos: professor Aino Niskanen, Aalto University Department of Architecture.

The discussion will be in Finnish.

ABSTRACT:

The preservation of historic town centres appeared aside the preservation of monuments in the
international charters and recommendations during 1960s and 1970s. The conceptual tools for
safeguarding the historic cities were mostly concentrated to the material preservation of the
buildings, but the continuity of life in the historic quarter may be the economic premise for it. By
which means the historic quarters may be kept alive, without undermining their material
authenticity?

Katja Huovinen studied in her dissertation the practice and the implementation of urban
preservation in three European UNESCO listed historic quarters. The comparative case study is
been made in wooden town of Old Rauma in Finland, the Hanseatic town of Visby in Sweden, and
in the cave dwelling district of Sassi di Matera in Southern Italy. The sources for the research are
the publications of local authority, articles in newspapers, and interviews of local inhabitants and
businesses.

– All historic city centres have originally been alive and authentic, but the change has not only
materially destroyed historic townscape, but also emptied them from life and their original
functions, making them materially authentic but dead museums, or kitsch decorated theme parks in
the service of trade and tourism.

As an architect living and practicing in a historic centre, Huovinen points out the importance of the
the material realization level of the preservation, like the craftsmanship, availability of traditional
materials and involving of residents in the care of their quarter. As an example of meritorious action
she mentions the city-owned renovation centre of Tammela operating in Old Rauma.

– Nowadays needs regarding the historic quarters and buildings creates pressure towards the
change. In certain aspects, the change should be tolerated as a necessary condition to continuity,
but no changes should be made for their own sake. The best results of urban preservation can be
reached by divulgation and self-regulation. Naturally selected inhabitants embrace the preservation
discourse, and they want, understand and can safeguard the patina and all the details witnessing
the centuries gone by. The preservation should be linked to integrated planning, as life in historic
quarter is affected by shopping malls nearby, and by traffic solutions that bolster the urban sprawl.

– In my opinion, the preservation of historic city centres to the future generations is extremely
important. They offer an example of good, human-scale environment, which is well fitted to local
climate. The new and upcoming changes in urban space and its use are the virtual layers, like
augmented reality, and the networks created by social media. Even the apparently trivial diffusion
of car sharing can affect positively to the modernist plague of parking space shortage.

WELCOME!

The dissertation notice and the published dissertation are placed for public display at the Learning Hub Arabia (Hämeentie 135 C, 5th floor, room 570), at latest 10 days before the defence date.