The Main Building - Stiftelsenabo

Åbo Akademi University Main Building

Domkyrkotorget 3 
Year of construction: 1831-1838

This building, also known as the Trapp House, was constructed by weighmaster Johan Christian Trapp according to Carles Bassi’s designs, who was one of the era’s most skilled architects. The main building is located on a plot with a rich history. It was here that the Åbo Akademi University began its operations in 1919. 

The building is made of plastered brick, has two floors, and consists of three wings. The symmetrical main façade is dominated by a projecting central risalit with a classical temple gable. On the second floor, there is an open loggia with six Tuscan columns. The stepped attic is adorned with “1833”, the year the building was constructed. 

Confectioner Johan Reinhold Lehtinen’s attempt transforming the entire block into a shopping centre. The photo was taken in the 1910s. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library.

Construction and Early Use of the Building 

The Trapp House after the inauguration of the Per Brahe Monument in 1888. The Observatory can be seen in the background. Image: Jacob Johan Reinberg. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library. 

The building was erected by Johan Christian Trapp between 1831 and 1833, and designed by Charles Bassi, but it was not fully completed until 1838. The lower floor housed commercial premises, warehouses, stables, carriage and wood sheds, while the upper floor was an elegant residence for Trapp and his family. 

After Trapp’s death in 1854, the house changed owners several times until confectioner Johan Reinhold Lehtinen took over in 1889. In the 1890s, Lehtinen tried to transform the entire block into a commercial shopping centre, which led to several changes in the building. The project failed, and industrialist Louis Schnitt took over the block in 1904. Schnitt made only small changes, and the confectionery continued its operations while the upper floor was rented out to, among others, the association Arbetets Vänner (Friends of Work in English). 

The Åbo Akademi University Moves In 

The Åbo Akademi University Foundation purchased the property in 1917. When the Åbo Akademi University started its operations in 1919, the spaces were shared with a confectionery, bakery, shops, and offices. Renovations began the following year, and most of the ground floor was converted into a library and reading rooms, while the upper floor was used by the administration and faculties. The situation improved when the Departments of Humanities moved to the Dahlström Villa (Juridicum) in 1930 and the library got its own premises in the Book Tower in 1936. 

Karl F. Lindman (1874-1952), professor of physics teaches in the Åbo Akademi University Main Building, in the early 1920s. Janitor Axberg stands next to the tiled stove on the right. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library. 
 
Åbo Akademi University’s rector, professor Severin Johansson, speaks from the balcony to the choir singers. Some of the singers are dressed in traditional costumes and had gathered at Domkyrkotorget for the association SFV’s music and singing festival in 1926. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library.

Major Renovations and Current Use 

Between 1972 and 1974, extensive renovations and foundation reinforcements were carried out, including piling work. Carin Bryggman was responsible for the interior design when the basement floor was converted into a reception area between 1983 and 1984. The roof was renovated in 2010, and a ventilation system was installed between 2016 and 2017. In 2023, an elevator was installed to make the house more accessible. 

Today, the main building houses the Rectorate, Executive Office, and Financial Services at the Åbo Akademi University. 

The façade of the Åbo Akademi University Main Building facing the Turku Cathedral. Image: Helena Nylund, 2024.

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