The site is on Iso Kylätie, Nikkilä village’s old main street in Sipoo, east from Helsinki. The yards are fenced along the west and north because of the proximity of the railway and the lack of protection against the wind. Trees and a covered stand for bicycles form the boundary on the south.

All the facilities were designed for a variety of purposes; discotheque and other large gatherings use the entire building, while at other times the hall, coffee shop and gallery are used by the afternoon playgroup for schoolchildren or by other activities. The youth clubs use the club room and the stage (the club facilities). Provision has also been made to add 4–6 club rooms. Space was reserved on the site for a hobby building and motor shop.

The building entrance leads directly to the café / coffee shop, which also serves as a focal point. The all is linked diagonally to the coffee shop, and its windows face the yard adjacent to the entrance. The hall can be closed off with a sound-proof wall; the same wall can also be used to close off the stage/club facilities. The stage faces both the hall and the coffee shop, from which the public can listen to band performances. Cupboards for the children’s playgroup are along the back wall of the hall; there is a platform on top of them where the children can climb, slide or jump onto pillows. Children can also use the platform, the climbing bars along the sidewall and the benches as seats. The gallery is an important additional dimension in a 1-level youth facility of this kind.

The building’s bearing structures are Leca light-weight aggregate block walls and round wooden columns. Facades are of Leca blocks or sawn timber. The roof is of painted sheet metal.

Nuorkka Youth Centre, designed by architect Bitumi Manner, was completed in 1984.

Source: Finnish Architectural Review 5/1986