University of Joensuu
- Joensuu
- 1985
The oldest part of the University of Turku Student Village, the so-called ‘western village’ was built in 1968–1974. The architecture of the housing blocks is one of the finest examples of Constructivism in Finland. The student village was designed by architects Jan Söderlund and Erkki Valovirta.
The general plan of the village is based on a grid plan, popular in Finnish suburb planning since the 1960s Bengt Ludnsten’s Kortepohja plan in Jyväskylä. The pedestrian routes run through the housing blocks so that cars are not visible in the middle of the village.
The blocks of flats vary on their scale, and the monotonous architecture is accentuated with colourful panelling. The student village has expanded ever since, but the main features of the original village are still visible.