The refurbishment of the Lauttasaari Manor has begun

Lauttasaari Manor to become the heart of Kone Foundation activities bringing together research and the arts.

Located in Helsinki, the main building of the Lauttasaari Manor will contain premises for the Foundation’s employees and grant recipients, as well as space for events and workshops. The Red Villa will house a science-art café where we plan to hold exhibitions, debates and other events where researchers and artists can showcase their key work. The Red Villa will also provide renovated premises for the Lauttasaari Association and a residence for artists and researchers. The old outbuilding will be demolished and replaced by a new building, which will contain storage premises and a small workshop or atelier.

The manor’s main building which was built in 1837, the Red Villa which was built in the late 1700s, and the manor park will be thoroughly refurbished. We are currently running an invitation-based competition for the design of two new artworks for the manor’s park.

Thanks to its new premises in Lauttasaari, Kone Foundation will be able to fulfil its multi-disciplinary mission of combining research and the arts and strive even more effectively to foster social interaction and a sense of community.

“We hope to see the Lauttasaari Manor evolve into a location for meetings and discussions where new, bold scientific and artistic initiatives are made, and where every visitor encounters science and art,” says Anna Talasniemi, Executive Director at Kone Foundation.

“Located at street level, the Lauttasaari Manor will be easier to reach for grant recipients than our current premises. There is even a metro station right next to it.  There, we will be able offer our stakeholders even better and more versatile services,” says Hanna Nurminen, the chairperson of the Kone Foundation’s Board.

The refurbishment work is expected to be completed in early 2018.