- Lepakko
Lepakko or Lepakkoluola was a place for independent youth culture in
Helsinki ,Finland , functioning from1979 to1999 .The building was mostly used for rock concerts. Many
Finnish rock artists came into popular knowledge through Lepakko. Lepakko had also asauna and on special "steam club" nights one could enjoy sauna and music. The main organiser of the activity was "ELMU ry", the Live Music Association of Helsinki.Lepakko also hosted a
radio station , "Radio City", from1985 to 1999.The name Lepakko is Finnish for
bat - the shape of the logo of the paint factory that previously owned the building had resembled a bat.History
The Lepakko building was originally a
warehouse for apaint factory , built in1940 . From1968 to1978 it functioned as a shelter for homeless alcoholics. The City of Helsinki emptied the building in 1978.In 1979, a group of young people and the ELMU invaded the building and negotiated with the city officials to make it a place for youth and culture. The house was at first named "Lepakkoluola" (Finnish for bat cave), the name was later in most occasions shortened to Lepakko.
Lepakko was demolished to make way for a new office building in 1999, despite complaints that it should be preserved as an institution and a monument of independent Finnish youth and rock culture. The City of Helsinki hired out
Nosturi to ELMU as a substitute.References
* [http://www.hs.fi/kirjat/artikkeli/Lepakon+muistoa+kunnioittaen/HS20000517SI1KU028lv review on a book about the building in the online edition of Helsingin Sanomat] ( [http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/thisweek/21042000.html English translation from the international edition of HS] )
* [http://www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=5&ag=35&t=91&a=1592 30 minute report from Yle]
* [http://www2.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/archive/thisweek/48071999.html Helsingin Sanomat (international edition): "Holy Hermione, Robin – they're bulldozing the Batcave!"]
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