Öllerinkatu 3 will be transformed into a cultural and organization building

The old station building on Öllerinkatu gets a new life as a cultural and organization building. The cultural and event services of the city of Riihimäki will move into the premises during the summer of 2024. In addition, the building will have spaces for the use of organizations. During the spring, the main building will undergo a small renovation, which will help the facilities be updated to meet the needs of future users.

"The cultural and event services office will move to the north end of the building, where there will also be a separate event space and conference room. At the end of the building on Öllerinkatu, there will be spaces for organizations operating in Riihimäki. The new operation will be able to start in the fall of 2024", the responsible cultural producer Lyti Aaltonen tells about the plans related to the old station building.

"We are really happy that the building will be used by the townspeople and that we will be able to use the space and yard for various occasions and events in the future," Aaltonen continues.

"In addition to organizing various events and occasions, the building also enables the associations' own gatherings and joint activities," says Marjo-Kaisa Konttinen, the city's welfare coordinator.

The old station building has a colorful and interesting history

The main building was completed in 1858 as an official building. At first it was intended for four families. When railway traffic began in 1862, the building housed the station master's apartment, telegraph, ticket office and station space. The building was expanded in 1960. Until 1970, it served as VR's office space, after which it became the Riihimäki City Museum, where it operated until 2023.

"There was an apartment in the northern half of the building until 1996, when the city museum was expanded to the entire building. In the 1996 report, there is a text that says that during the time of Rail Engineer Fagerholm, proms and cultural events were held in the apartment, where the performers were, among others, Heimo Haitto and Lasse Pöysti", says Jori Weltner, spatial designer of the technical department of the city of Riihimäki, about the interesting history of the building.

At the east end of Pihapiri's outbuilding was an outdoor toilet, a barn and a wooden litter box, at the west end was a sauna building. During the war, German soldiers' belongings were stored in the outbuilding. In recent years, the outbuilding has housed, among other things, a summer cafe and pop-up sales during events. Öllerinkatu itself is named after the station manager Anton Wilhelm Öller (1829–1901).

Come up with a name for the new cultural and organization building

Could the future cultural and organization building be, for example, the Riihimäki cultural center or Antoni's house? Let your imagination run wild and suggest a new name.

Now you have the opportunity to influence what name the culture and organization house will be called in the future. Leave your name suggestion to the survey and win yourself a Riihimäki-themed product package.

Name suggestions are collected from 1st to 31st. March. Nimiraati makes its decision based on the proposals received by the deadline.

Leave your name suggestion here.