Geologicum - Stiftelsenabo

Geologicum

Domkyrkotorget 1
Year of construction: 1831-1838

Geologicum, also known as the Cajander House, is a plastered brick building with two floors, featuring a long façade with 19 windows side by side and symmetrically placed entrances. The Åbo Akademi University Foundation purchased the property in 1917, and it has been used by the Åbo Akademi University ever since.

Geologicum was constructed between 1831 and 1838 by merchant Nils Petter Cajander, according to Pehr Johan Gylich’s design. The ground floor housed shops and a pharmacy, while the upper floor was private residences for Cajander and pharmacist G. Arwidsson. 

The façade of Geologicum facing the Turku Cathedral. Image: Helena Nylund, 2024.

Changes in Ownership and Early Renovations 

After several ownership changes, the house was bought by confectioner Johan Reinhold Lehtinen, who intended to include it in his planned shopping centre, a vision he had for the entire block. On the lower floor, he set up shops with display windows and separate entrances facing the square.

When Lehtinen’s shopping centre project failed, industrialist Louis Schnitt purchased the property in 1905. According to Alexander Nyström’s renovation design, Schnitt divided the building into several high-class apartments and installed modern amenities such as electricity, plumbing, and bathrooms.

Photo of the future headquarters of the Åbo Akademi University, taken from the tower of Turku Cathedral in 1913 by Frans Hjalmar Renvall. In the foreground, the Cajander House, today called Geologicum, is visible on the left, and the Trapp’s House, the Åbo Akademi University Main Building, is on the right. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library.

The Åbo Akademi University Moves In  

In 1917, the Åbo Akademi University Foundation bought the plot and renovations began in 1920. The ground floor was converted into laboratories, drawing rooms, libraries, and offices. On the upper floor, Auditorium 1 was established, known as “the creaking hall” (swe. Knarrsalen), where the original wooden bench seating still is preserved today. The auditorium spans six windows in length and the entire width of the building.

The Department of Mathematics moved into Geologicum in 1919, followed by Physics and Zoology in 1921, and Geology and Mineralogy in 1922.

Doktorsdisputation i Auditorium 1, den så kallade ”knarrsalen”, i Geologicum på 1960-talet. Disputanden sitter framför publiken i auditoriet och opponenten till höger. Bildkälla: Åbo Akademis bibliotek.
Vitrinskåp med geologisk-mineraologiska samlingar. I förgrunden ett bord samt fem obestämda klot. Fotot är taget på 1920-talet. Bildkälla: Åbo Akademis bibliotek.

Later Renovations and Contemporary Use  

Between 1998 and 1999, Geologicum underwent extensive renovations. The room layout was changed, and two larger drawing rooms were converted into offices. In 2016, Geology and Mineralogy moved to the newly renovated Chemicum, that then was renamed Gehouse (Geohuset in Swedish). Today, Geologicum is used by Åbo Akademi University’s student associations. 

Source: Väggarna talar (2017) by Lars Berggren and Annette Landen.