From the Sunila sawmill fire department to Pirtti

The voluntary fire department building of the Sunila sawmill community was inaugurated in 1901. In 1938 Aino and Alvar Aalto designed a modernizing for the building and additional wings that had a modern design flare without compromise. The redesigned building came to be known as “Pirtti” and it has served as a meeting place for the pulp mill community ever since. The other old buildings of the sawmill community have been demolished over the years. Nowadays Pirtti is located next to a former paper recycling plant that is now replaced by other businesses.

The state of the Pirtti building began deteriorating towards the last decades of the 1900s. The situation was critical when the main user of the building, Sunilan Sisu, a sports club founded in 1937, bought the building and started a large renovation project in 2003. The renovation was carried out in stages, the final one being finished in 2018. The work included structural repairs, restoration of the facades, interior surfaces and furnishings, new hygienic facilities. The work done allows Pirtti to serve both sports and community gatherings efficiently. The renovation project has received support from multiple organizations and the city of Kotka. Some of the work was done by professionals and some by volunteers.

“The last three years of Sunilan Sisu have been spent renovating Pirtti. The work is now on the final stretch and in the summer of 2007 the renovations are mostly complete. This project has been a massive effort in terms of both work and financial spendings, but seeing Pirtti ready for the 70th anniversary of Sunilan Sisu is well worth it, to secure the future and give hope that we will also celebrate the 100th anniversary in this building.”

– an excerpt from the Sunilan Sisu plan of action 2007