Väinö Linna Square

The Väinö Linna Square (Finnish: Väinö Linnan aukio) is a courtyard-type square at the Finlayson's old factory area in Tampere, Finland.^[1][2][3] It is part of the Tammerkoski rapids' industrial landscape, which in 2009 was classified by the Finnish Heritage Agency as a nationally significant built cultural environment.^[4] Today, the buildings surrounding the square include the Werstas Labour Museum [fi] and Mehiläinen Private Hospital.^[5] The oldest building in the square is the six-storey old factory called Kuusivooninkinen (1837), which was Finland's first modern factory building. In 1995, the square was named after Väinö Linna. Linna, who was later known as a very significant writer, had formerly worked in that building for a couple of years, before his conscription into the army in 1940.^[1][4][6][7]

The Väinö Linna Square in 2006

Finlayson's textile production in the area ended in the mid-1990s, after which renovation of the buildings began.^[8] The Väinö Linna Square was renovated in 2005. At the same time, a new hospital was completed on its edge, on the site of a demolished factory building, and The Portrait of Väinö Linna (1995) was placed on the outer wall; the granite statue is one of the latest works by sculptor Raimo Heino.^[6][9]