Katerma is located in River Ontojoki in Kuhmo municipality near the Finnish-Russian border and is one of the power plants in the Sotkamo route -waterway. The power plant was designed by architect Eino Pitkänen and was built by Kajaani Inc. between 1945-1950. Pitkänen designed the power house with a functionalist premise but the end result features several compromises, as the gable roof, vertically placed window openings and the use of slate in façades give the architecture a vernacular undertone.

The building has an on-site casted concrete frame and plastered brick cladding. Katerma’s speciality is the log-chute that runs through the power house. Katerma has one turbine that has a maximum capacity of 10 megawatts. The facility was refurbished in 2001. Katerma is classified as Nationally significant built cultural environment (RKY).

Pitkänen also designed the small residential area for the power plants workers. The area has three wooden single-family type houses and a service building.

Text: Samuli Paitsola