Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma springs a leak

print this

If you should happen to see a plastic bucket in the foyer of the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, the chances are it is not part of an installation: one of the roof windows of Kiasma (completed and opened in 1998) is leaking.
      According to property manager Jari Paavilainen, the problem has been caused by the crumbling seams of the large skylight window.
     
”The leak has mainly manifested in the form of dampness on the surface, and there has been no need as yet for buckets. The seams will be replaced as soon as there is no rain”, Paavilainen reported.
      The repair men are waiting for better weather, as the large pane of glass will have to be removed in connection with the repairs.
      For the time being, the window has been covered by a tarpaulin. The replacement of the seams could be postponed until the spring.
     
The number of seams amounts to several dozens, but leaks have been detected only in three or four places.
      The property manager says that crumbling seams are typical in ten-year-old buildings, saying that the leaks are not likely to have anything to do with the structures of Kiasma.
      ”Presumably it is not a question of structures, even though Kiasma is a challenging complex with slightly different forms and surfaces from those usually built in Finland. Besides, all buildings have to be repaired every now and then”, Paavilainen notes.
      No budget has been made for the upcoming repairs, but Paavilainen estimates that the repair work could cost some thousands of euros.
     
At the same time, the museum is facing another considerably larger refit job, as Kiasma’s facade will have to be thorougly repaired.
      ”The glass elements of the facade have broken quite badly. It seems that they never remain undamaged, even though they are constantly being repaired. It is our next major repair task”, Paavilainen adds.
      The water seeping through the roof has not damaged the works of art, as the leaking seams are located in the roof windows above the Kiasma main entrance.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Art Review: Hard core minimalist exhibition at Kiasma (21.10.2008)

Links:
  Kiasma: Full House 17.10.2008-18.1.2009

Helsingin Sanomat