Housing sales Museuming Mika Waltar’s home in the headwind – Helsinki appeals to strict regulations

Helsinki Located in Etu-Töölö Mika Waltarin the home is for sale In the shortcut service. The request price is 1.3 million euros.

Waltari’s legacy has kept the apartment intact since Waltari died in 1979. Thus, part of Finnish cultural history is in danger of being erased if the future new owner does not want to keep the premises the same.

The legacy has long tried to get the apartment into a converted museum, but the obstacle has been Waltar’s grandson Joel Elstelän the lack of necessary funding and the bureaucracy involved in the change.

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“We would be very happy if it became a home museum.”

According to Elstelä, the owner of the apartment should be someone who has the time and money to run the museum in practice.

“We would be very happy if it became a home museum. If a culturally friendly institution buys it, then we are very ready to discuss the sale of furniture, for example. ”

Although The initial capital required for the purchase of an apartment and the longer-term financing of possible museum activities would still be in the way of the permit project of the City of Helsinki’s building inspectorate.

Waltar’s apartment is located in a house in the town plan that is a residential block of flats, says the head of the permit unit responsible for the renovation and alteration of the city of Helsinki and urban space. Salla Mustonen.

“I would see that if Mika Waltar’s apartment were to be opened to the public as a so-called housing museum, it would be essential to find a framework for the operation that would not have to be officially changed, but would continue to be used as an apartment,” he replied to HS.

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The building inspectorate is ready to negotiate museum use.

According to Mustonen, it does not seem possible to change the purpose of the apartment, as there are very different building regulations for public spaces and living quarters. According to Mustonen, the problems are at least the number and dimensioning of the exits.

According to Mustonen, the building inspectorate is ready to negotiate the use of the museum if there is interest in it.

According to Mustonen, an interested party should make a study of the suitability of the apartment for museum use and some kind of presentation about the museum’s activities.

Any changes would also require the consent of the property owner, in this case the housing association.

Helsinki Deputy Director of Culture Reetta Heiskanen believes the home museum’s opportunities have deteriorated with the announcement of the sale.

“One would have to find a buyer who would like to support the idea and establishment of the museum. The initial investment alone is not enough, but a model should also be found to make the museum’s operating economy run in the long run. ”

There is not enough funding from the operating budget of the city museum for the operating costs of a possible museum without a separate political decision, Heiskanen says. The general principle, he said, is that the city does not directly fund museum activities.

In practice, according to Heiskanen, converting an apartment into a museum would require, among other things, planning for the museum collection. For example, Waltar’s personal estate should be inventoried along with the heirloom.

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“A model should be found to make the museum’s finances run.”

According to Heiskanen, the options for covering operating costs would be, for example, funding from the foundation’s capital gains, funding based on a political decision of the city or funding from state contributions. The home museum’s own business could also at least partially finance its activities.

National Board of Antiquities specialist Risto Hakomäki estimates that if bureaucratic hurdles and initial funding were to be addressed, the annual cost to the museum would be well under € 100,000. However, the National Board of Antiquities does not have the opportunity to take care of the museum.

A potential home museum administrator could cover running costs, for example with entrance fees, Hakomäki calculates.

“Mika Waltari is one of our most well-known and translated writers internationally. His legacy is certainly of international interest as well. There is also the Temple Square Church next door, which is visited by about a million people a year, so this type of museum obviously has potential. ”

According to Hakomäki, Waltari’s apartment in general would also be interesting as a time capsule of the family and lifestyle of a 1970s worker.

However, according to his assessment, the future of the museum project looks bad.

“The owners of the apartment have probably figured out everything that can be figured out. Of course, this publicity may bring a little new reflection somewhere. ”

Correction 23.2. at 11:50: Corrected Reetta Heiskanen from the director of the Helsinki City Museum to the position of director of culture at Helsinki.