Kauppahallit kaupunkien ympäristöhistoriassa

Abstract

Awareness of the history of the built environment of cities forms an important basis for urban planning.
At the same time, one can witness conflicts between interests that pertain to either the preservation or
demolition of old buildings and milieus in many Finnish cities. The demolition of old market halls in Finland
began in the 1950s. Post-war reconstruction and modernistic town planning were the main trends in Finnish
architecture and planning after the Second World War. Already during the following decade, however, an
old buildings preservation movement appeared alongside the social radicalism of that time. In this paper, I
examine conflicts revolving around conservation issues of old market halls in Joensuu, Kotka and Kuopio.
These conflicts indicate strong disputes between views that favour either economic effectiveness or the
conservation of cultural heritage. Those who supported the demolition of old market halls did not see the
architectonic or cultural value in these buildings.Those who were interested in their preservation maintained
that old market halls were important elements of the cultural image of cities. In their view, the preservation
of the layers and landmarks from different historical periods are key elements in an attractive townscape.