Turku goes 1812 was a pop up event in 2019, that attracted thousands of visitors to an immersive, shared experience in virtual reality.
A lost city
In September 1827, Turku was hit by an enormous disaster. The centre of Finland's oldest city was almost completely destroyed in a massive fire. The heart of the medieval city was lost in just one night, and most of what remained of old Turku was demolished under reconstruction. These lost landscapes fascinate us today; what was our city like and what would it be today if not for the fire?
Capital of Culture in 2011 ignited a spark
During the Capital of Culture year in 2011, Turku City Museum and the Finnish science centre Heureka co-created an exhibition titled Fire! in the newly opened venue Logomo. The main attraction of the highly popular exhibition was a bigature theatre of the 1827 fire, where a largescale model, animation, sounds, smoke and lights told the story of the fire; its beginning, progress and the aftermath.
The bigature theatre from 2011, research data related to the exhibition and the desire to explore the layers of our city's history using new technologies came together within the framework of the Museum of History and the Future. The idea to create a digital 3D model of early 19th century Turku was born. The model can be utilised in a range of applications, and it is available for partners to use and develop. The 3D model Turku Åbo 1827 is a digital play dough, that can be formed and transformed into games, videos, images, and other experiences.
The Great Square, the heart of historical Turku, and the bridge that once crossed the river, were the first sites modelled. Based on that model, a very popular virtual experience called Turku goes 1812 was born, shared with the public in a pop-up in March 2019.
Experience Turku in the 1820's in the Digital Museum
Encouraged by the experiment, the modelling continued and extended to a larger part of the city destroyed in 1827. The focus is now on the time immediately before the fire: What did Turku look like in the spring of 1827? Explore a lost city in videos on YouTube and panoramic views in the Digital Museum.
