The Designers of Pori – Arthur Fagerholm & Torkel Nordman

An exhibition at the Rosenlew Museum from 18.10.2024 to 5.10.2025

The Pori of the early 1900s was affected by two structural masterminds – master builder Arthur Fagerholm and architect Torkel Nordman. The creations by their architectural office still mark the town: the Mäntyluoto hotel, the summer restaurant at Kirjurinluoto and the Crystal Palace at Reposaari are just a few examples.

Master builder Fagerholm and architect Nordman were also the designers of a great deal of industrial architecture in Pori. Buildings designed by them, individually or as a team, can be found in the industrial areas of Aittaluoto and Konepajanranta (“the Machine Workshop Bank”) in Pori. There were designs to be drawn elsewhere in the Satakunta region, too, like the Kauttua paper mill, one of the first designs of the architectural office Fagerholm & Nordman.

In addition to creating the built environment, Fagerholm and Nordman were active in various committees and associations. Two examples of the most long-lived and still existing of them are the BSF yacht club and Porin Taide- ja Taideteollisuusyhdistys (“Pori Arts and Crafts Association”).

The exhibition introduces the lives and production of these designers to the visitors, who have an exceptional opportunity to explore a vast cavalcade of original construction drafts and photographs.