Haarla Palace

Haarla Palace
(Haarlan palatsi)
Pellavatehtaankatu 14

Jussi & Toivo Paatela, 1923-25
Style: Classicism

The palace was built by notable industrialist Rafael Haarla as his private residence. It was completed in 1925. The building designed by Jussi and Toivo Paatela in the classicist style has Kuru's grey granite used in its outer walls, which gives the house a dark and stern appearance. Classicism often sought to express light playfulness, but in the Haarla Palace this playfulness has turned into threatening darkness. One could think this shows true Finnish classicism as opposed to that of northern classicism. The lion sculptures on both sides of the front stairs were made by W. Rich. Rautalin. The interiors have remained nearly original, for instance the beautiful, handcrafted oak doors, the ornamental tiled ovens, and the sanded, patterned crystal-glass windows on the sides of the main entrance are still extant. The building was sold to the city in the 1970s, and they recently sold it to a real estate developer. The building underwent a thorough renovation in 2015-16 that even saw parts of the palace being completely rebuilt in an effort to prevent some older elements from crumbling to dust.