The renovation of the Saari Residence’s main building will be completed by the end of August

The renovation of the Saari Residence’s main building, which began in 2020, will be completed by the end of August. The reason for the renovation are the indoor air problems that were detected in the base floor of the main building’s first floor during other repair work.

The main building of the Saari Residence, built in 1779 in the village of Saarinen in Mietoinen, Mynämäki, has been under extensive renovation for the past few years. For the duration of the renovation, the office and events of the Saari Residence for artists have been moved from the main building to other premises in the grounds, but the residence staff will most likely be able to move back to the main building in early September. The reason for the renovation is the poor indoor air quality in the building. Renovation work on the main building’s medieval basement revealed that the building has, among other things, inadequate natural gravity ventilation, air leakages in its structures and some microbial damage here and there in the intermediate floor between the basement and the first floor.

The improvements carried out on the main building during the renovation include the installation of a natural gravity ventilation system, repairs of rotten floor and wall structures, removal of the damaged materials of the intermediate floor and the construction of a new floor on the first floor of the building. The renovation has also made the previously not obstacle-free building accessible by wheelchair and improved its functionality, for example, with the addition of a stairlift and changes to the staff and storage facilities.

“We are very much looking forward to returning to the renovated main building. Now that the end of the renovation is in sight, I would like to thank the staff of the Saari Residence for their patience and flexibility in the midst of the changes caused by the building work. I would also like to thank all the construction professionals who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the main building of the Saari Residence, which is culturally and historically significant, is brought back to health and will remain so for a long time to come,” says Leena Kela, Residency Director.