J.K. Pikkujämsä

Husrdömmar – Talounelmia

Architectural drawings of Kristiinankaupunki from the 19th and 20th centuries. Exhibition 21 May – 19 June 2025 at Studio Fremdeling, Kristinestad.

In 2018, a group of residents from Kristinestad gathered around a shared idea: the architectural plans of the old houses in Kristinestad should be compiled into a digital archive to make them more accessible to the public. Today, you can find Kristinestad’s digital archive online, which consists of scanned blueprints and other documents, photographs, and texts related to individual houses and lots in the city, as well as materials concerning the old Kristinestad as a whole. The collection efforts continue, and materials are gratefully accepted. 

The archive now operates under the auspices of the Kristinasällskapet rf/Kristiina-Seura ry. One of the society’s goals is to “preserve a cohesive and vibrant old Kristinestad, particularly its architectural heritage.”  The society has placed informative signs on various townhouses that tell their histories and has recently adopted a cabin known as Kapanmitta, located at Myllykallio.

The Husdrömmar – Talounelmia exhibition has been curated by Dag Björklund, the initiator of the digital archive and the chairperson of the society. The exhibition offers a glimpse into how stylistic trends in history have reflected upon a small northern wooden house town, while also asking: What were the dreams of homes like in days gone by? Which houses remain, and which have vanished from the townscape, and which dreams never made it beyond the drawing board? What might a different Kristiinankaupunki look like today?

The digital archive of Kristiinankaupunki can be found — > here

The Studio Fremdeling exhibition space is managed by the Yelema Artist Residency Association.

Studio Fremdeling, Strandgatan 42, Kristinestad

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 13:00-18:00

Vernissage: 21 May, 18:00-20:00

In collaboration with: 

Kristinasällskapet rf/Kristiina-Seura ry

Svenska Kulturfonden