The guild house of the Architect guild
The guild house of the Architect guild has been moved to Pikisaari from Oulu's Heinäpää, from Isokatu 53. The building originally known as the "Kolmen fröökynän talo" was built after the devastating city fire of 1828 and is one of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in Oulu.
Oulu Architects redeemed the building, which was under threat of demolition, from the city in 1985. The location was found next to Matila's house, which had recently been moved to Pikisaari, on a plot designated as a parking lot.
The relocation and construction work of the house was done by students. The "Oulun koulu vetää hirsiä" campaign started the Kiltatalo building relocation project on December 1, 1986. The construction process turned out to be long, the groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 30, 1990, and the opening ceremony was held in May 1994.
The shed in the yard of the Guild Hall was moved in the 2000s from Aleksanterinkatu 6, the block of the former Architecture Department.
Pikisaari is full of industrial history
Pikisaari has a long, 400-year industrial history. Towards the 1970s, however, the industry began to wane and finally stopped altogether. The island is located next to the city center in the Oulujoki estuary and is connected by three bridges to the city center and nearby islands. In the 17th century, there was a pitch manufactorer on the island, from which the island got its name.
Nowadays, the area of Pikisaari is protected and it is especially known as a craftsman and artist district. Among other things, the area is home to the Pikisaari unit of the Oulu regional college, the Oulu Architects Guild, and artists' studios and art gallery activities in the premises of the old Wool Factory.