History and Restoration of Tammela
The Tammela House showcases UNESCO World Heritage sites and the restoration of Old Rauma. Tammela hosts events related to world heritage and architectural heritage, as well as various cultural events. Tammela recycles old building supplies, has a workshop for residents of Old Rauma, and makes traditional red paint in the summer.
The main building in Tammela was once built as a residential building with several apartments. The exact year of construction is not known, but the earliest documentary evidence of the building is a fire insurance document from 1857. It mentions that the building was built at an earlier date.
It is therefore reasonable to assume that Tammela was built no later than the early 19th century. The earliest building permit for Tammela dates from 1903. According to this alteration drawing, the building has been extended to the courtyard. At the same time, a wing section was added by moving a separate log frame to the main building. Until 1903, the dwelling was the entire length of the street. In the alteration drawing, it was shortened by one log frame to create the present gateway to the Tammela courtyard. After these modifications, Tammela’s living area became 237 m², which is also the current size of the building.
In 1952, the property was bought from private ownership by Länsi-Suomi Oy, which converted the building into a rental house with very few changes. The City of Rauma bought the Tammela property in 1975 and converted the building into a music academy in 1976 and 1977. At that time, the building was, among other things, chipboarded and fitted with a mechanical exhaust ventilation system. All the walls, even the partition walls, were covered with wooden beams.
Tammela has been renovated into an information centre and exhibition space in the late 1990s, restoring the character of the log building to the interior and the layout of the rooms. The floor plan is closer to the 1903 modification drawing. The building materials and methods used have been chosen to make them accessible to all renovators. The openings left in the structures guide renovators to use materials and working methods suitable for log buildings. At the same time, the historical phases of Tammela are presented.
The actual renovation work in Tammela has been carried out by a carpenter who is skilled in demanding basic repairs to log buildings. The renovation of Tammela has also been the subject of further training and employment courses. The renovation has involved the Rauma Regional Youth Workshop, the Old Rauma Repair Workshop and Innova (now Winnova).