Kisällitalo is part of the Vallila Artist Studios complex, which also includes Lemuntie 6 and Pälkäneentie 18. The Studio Foundation acquired them in three separate phases between 1999 and 2006.
The Studio Foundation has a total of 48 workspaces in Kisällitalo, with more than 60 visual artists working in them. The smallest workspaces are less than 20 m² in size while the largest group workspaces are over 100 m². The building also contains warehouses for visual artists. The workspaces can be accessed from three different sides of the building: Lemuntie, Nokiantie and Nilsiänkatu.
The oldest part of the factory property, on the Nilsiänkatu side, was designed by architect Yrjö Lindegren and completed in 1941. The property was extended in accordance with the plans by architect O. Hansson to the courtyard side in 1956, and to the corner of Nokiantie and Lemuntie in 1963.
The Ministry of Education and Culture supported the purchase and renovation of the Vallila Artist Studios, as did the Artists’ Association of Finland, which directed part of the Helena and Werner Åström bequest to the Studio Foundation.
Kisällitalo is home to one of the Helena and Werner Åström scholarship studios, the Werner Åström studio (LISÄÄ LINKKI). The Studio Foundation office is also located in the building.
In addition to the facilities owned by the Studio Foundation, the building also contains training facilities for musicians and a restaurant.
Photography artists’ communities and workspaces at Kisällitalo
Kisällitalo is home to the Finnish Darkroom Association, which maintains and develops the traditions of darkroom work and art in Finland. The association’s facilities include a professional black-and-white darkroom, Mörk, open to everyone.
The colour proofing cooperative for photographic artists Värinä also operates in Kisällitalo. Värinä’s facilities include the only colour darkroom in Finland as well as a digital image processing and printing room.
Lemuntie 4 D, Lemuntie 4 F (inner courtyard), Nokiantie 2–4 C, Nilsiänkatu 11–13 F, 00510 Helsinki
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