Who owns the corridor?

You linger in the space only a moment, but its effect begins already when you touch the doorknob. However, expectations with regard to this space are often not very high. The staircase acts as the hallway of flats. Its floor is scratched by sanding rubble, and stripes appear on the walls during removals. The staircases of buildings are half-public spaces which nobody necessarily feels his own. Or at least taking care of it always belongs to someone else.

Art can change this scheme of things. People of more cautious and even protective, because after all, it's their staircase and their artwork. Art can also raise the value of the real property and prevent vandalism. A certain artwork placed in the staircase has particularly stuck in my mind (maybe also because it is visible through the glass front door also to others than the residents of the house): the Minnanlantti (Minna's Coin) artwork of housing company Minnankantti here in Kuopio. The silver and golden details of the artwork create associations of something valuable to protect. The artwork also reminds of the history of the residential area and in this way successfully strengthens the identity of the building. You can have a peek at the artwork on Minna Canthin katu (Minna Canth Street) or on our web pages.

The Pa-La team: Emmi Kinnunen, Interior Architect