Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture has allocated a 40,000 euro grant to the Poikilo Museums in Kouvola. The funds are designated for a collaborative 3D modeling project with the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, known as Xamk. The project aims to digitally reconstruct buildings from Kouvola's city center as they appeared a century ago, structures that no longer exist in the present-day landscape.
According to Poikilo Museums Director Anu Kasnio, the city's center looked very different one hundred years ago. She expressed hope that the project would serve as a starting point for initiatives like a virtual Kouvola 1930 exhibition. In a statement, Kasnio said the goal is to bring the old Kouvola back to life through the buildings, real events, and stories of the people who lived there. The project is scheduled for completion within the current calendar year.
Funding for Digital Heritage
The 40,000 euro grant comes directly from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Culture. This type of direct project funding is a standard mechanism for supporting specific cultural heritage and innovation initiatives across Finnish municipalities. It reflects the ministry's ongoing strategy to support digital transformation within the national cultural sector.
The investment is relatively modest but targeted, intended to seed a project with potential for broader application. The grant will cover the technical work of creating accurate digital models. This involves historical research, architectural mapping based on archives and photographs, and the actual 3D modeling process conducted by specialists.
The 3D Reconstruction Project
The core of the project is the creation of detailed digital 3D models of vanished buildings from Kouvola's historic center. This work will be carried out by Xamk's Creative Economy Research Unit in partnership with the Poikilo Museums' staff. The collaboration bridges the gap between academic technical expertise and local historical knowledge held by the museum.
The models are not intended to be static digital artifacts. The project plans to explore their active use in cultural heritage work and commercial applications. By recreating the lost streetscape, the initiative seeks to make a layer of local history that is physically absent once again accessible to residents, students, and visitors.
Building Partnerships and Future Use
A key component of the project involves organizing workshops for creative industry companies in the coming autumn. These workshops, run jointly by Poikilo and Xamk, will focus on finding diverse ways to utilize the newly created 3D models. Participants will brainstorm practical and innovative applications that extend beyond a traditional museum setting.
The potential uses could range from educational tools and augmented reality experiences for tourists to assets for game developers or media producers. This approach aims to ensure the digital models have a lasting impact and utility, creating a resource that can stimulate both cultural and commercial activity in the region.
The Vision for Virtual Kouvola
Director Anu Kasnio's vision for a 'virtual Kouvola 1930' exhibition outlines the project's aspirational future. Such an exhibition would integrate the 3D building models with narratives and historical events, offering an immersive journey into the city's past. It represents a modern approach to museum storytelling, leveraging technology to overcome the limitation of lost physical heritage.
The success of this initial modeling project will likely determine the feasibility and scope of that larger virtual exhibition. The grant provides the essential first step in building the digital foundation required for more complex future installations. It allows the museum to test methods and begin populating a digital archive of historical urban space.
Context of Regional Development
This project occurs within a broader context of regional development in the Kymenlaakso area, where Kouvola is the largest city. Similar digital heritage projects have been undertaken in other Finnish cities, often focusing on periods of significant architectural change. The initiative aligns with national interests in preserving cultural memory digitally, especially for industrial and urban histories that have seen rapid transformation.
The partnership with a local university of applied sciences emphasizes the role of regional educational institutions in supporting community and economic development. It provides students and researchers with real-world projects while delivering a tangible outcome for the city's cultural institutions.
Next Steps and Completion
With funding secured, the project partners will now move into the active implementation phase. The work involves meticulous historical research to ensure architectural accuracy before the digital modeling can begin. The Poikilo Museums' archives will be central to this process, providing photographs, maps, and documents from the early 20th century.
The completion of the models by year's end will mark the end of the grant-funded phase but the beginning of the asset's lifecycle. The subsequent workshops with creative businesses are designed to chart the course for that next phase. The ultimate legacy of the 40,000 euro investment will be measured by how these digital reconstructions are used to connect people with a forgotten version of their city.