Wilenia housing co-operative of three six-storey buildings with four lamellas was built in 1962–1963 around the Läntinen Rantakatu 21 housing co-operative (1948-1952), designed by architect Erik Bryggman. Bryggman had made a redevelopment plan for the whole block but his death in 1955 cut it short.

Architect Pekka Pitkänen made an adjusted version of Bryggman’s plan, representing new ideas of a housing development. One of the major changes was to open a view from Linnankatu street to the river Aura. In many ways Wilenia represents the same ideas that Pekka Pitkänen developed in the Carenia & Linnankatu 8 housing complex, based on the ideas of Le Corbusier´s Unité D’Habitation. Carenia and Linnankatu 8 were completed in 1962, Wilenia in 1963.

Wilenia had a favourable location along the river. Large part of the apartments were four to five room apartments, which were all equipped with open stoves. In addition, there were studios and two room apartments for renting. In A-B building, there are also 73 m2 and 81 m2 three rooms and kitchen apartments. With the exception of the 31 m2 studios in D block all apartments have views to the river and all apartments over 50 m2 have a balcony.

The large apartments are clearly intended for representative city living. They have a space to entertain the guests and a more private side with connections to the bathroom and the kitchen. The largest apartments have two-room suites of living room and a separate dining room, library or guest room.

The buildings are cast in concrete on site. The facades are in white brick, ceramic plate and teak screens. The builder of the development was Urakoitsijat Oy.

Text: Mikko Laaksonen