The Verla Club House is one of the central buildings of the Verla World Heritage Site. It was built in 1919 with donation funds from Wilhelm Thesleff, the cardboard factory's managing director at the time, for the factory workers' leisure activities and education.
The club served its original purpose for a few years. Due to a severe housing shortage, it was used for accommodation from the mid-1920s until the late 1940s. The large hall was converted into apartments for four families, and two families lived upstairs. The building was restored to its original use in 1947, after which it has served various purposes, including drama and discussion clubs, film screenings, and evening gatherings. By the early 2000s, the club had deteriorated significantly and was taken completely out of use.
In 2009, the Verla Factory Museum, together with the Verla Village Association, decided to launch a major renovation of the house. The repair project was completed in 2012, and today, the building serves its purpose as the Community House for the Verla Village Association's activities and, by its old vernacular name, as the Verla Club House for groups hosting breakfasts, meetings, large conferences, and celebration events.
Verla Club House Structure and Yard
The ground floor consists of the following spaces: entrance hall, cloakroom, WC, main hall and stage, cabinet room, kitchen, and kitchen entrance. The upper floor is not in use and is closed to the public. The main entrance is from Verlantie in front of the building, and barrier-free access is available directly into the hall from the back of the building. The kitchen has its own entrance.
There is parking space for a few vehicles in the club's yard in front of the kitchen entrance. A separate, larger parking area is located approximately 100 meters towards the factory museum from the community house, with a dedicated path leading to the building. Parking along the road is not recommended for safety reasons. Emergency routes must always be kept clear.
Capacity
The maximum allowable building-technical capacity for the club's indoor space is 290 people. For practical reasons, the number of people should not exceed 100 people.
Equipment
The Verla Club has the following equipment available for the renter's use:
Hall
Spacious, bright, and airy space
Projector and screen
Piano
Stage
Tables and chairs for 54 people in the standard arrangement (can be increased to 80 from the back room storage)
Cabinet Room
Meeting table and chairs in the standard arrangement
Large display screen
Entrance Hall, Cloakroom, and WC
Outerwear storage
Accessible WC
Kitchen
Coffee machine
Kettle
2 x Refrigerator
Stoves
Ovens
Dishwasher
Equipped with professional-grade equipment, providing excellent facilities for external catering service providers.
Booking the Verla Club House
Verla Club House can be booked through local entrepreneurs:
Verlan Suma, tel. +358 50 350 6160, ryhmat@verlansuma.fi.
Mimosan Aito Oy, tel. +358 45 78314678, verla@mimosanaito.fi
