Domus - Stiftelsenabo

Domus

Biskopsgatan 10 
Year of construction: 1964 

Domus consists of two parallel buildings called the A-house and the B-house. The Student Union at Åbo Akademi University built Domus Aboensis as a dormitory in 1964. Domus has undergone several changes since it was constructed and today provides student housing once again. 

Domus consists of two almost identical rows with a rectangular floor plan and a flat roof, with a foundation and frame made of reinforced concrete. After the latest renovations, the façades have received a smooth plaster finish. The A-house is located along the street Biskopsgatan while the B-house is situated higher up on the slope. 
 

Domus, photographed from the street Agricolagatan (fi. Agricolankatu). Image: Helena Nylund, 2024.
Domus, photographed from the street Biskopsgatan (fi. Piispankatu).

The Student Union Constructs Domus 

The Student Union at Åbo Akademi University purchased the property in 1964 with the aim of developing a new student home. The old buildings were demolished and replaced by Domus Aboensis, according to Pekka Pitkänen’s design. The brutalist concrete façades of the building contrast sharply to the surrounding wooden structures.

The construction project was enabled by fundraising campaigns, concerts by the student choirs Florakören and Brahe Djäknar, as well as donations from associations, companies, and private individuals.

The ongoing constructions of Domus, 1964. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library. 
The construction of Domus is almost complete. Source: Åbo Akademi University Library.

The Åbo Akademi University Foundation Buys Domus 

The Åbo Akademi University Foundation purchased Domus in 1990. The B-house was used by the departments of Study of Religion and Folkloristics and as researcher residences. The A-house was renovated in 1993 and housed, for example, the Centre for Continuous Learning, the Archipelago Institute, and a joint faculty office.

Major façade and interior renovations were completed in 2005. After the renovations, the A-house accommodated, among other things, the Sports Office, Telephone Exchange, offices for the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Science and Engineering. It also offered rooms for guest researchers and people affiliated with the Åbo Akademi University. The B-house was rented out to the Student Union and regained its original function as student housing. The A-house underwent another extensive renovation between 2013 and 2014.

Today, there are 82 apartments in Domus. The apartments are for all students, but those enrolled at the Åbo Akademi University are prioritized.

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