Lepakko

From 1979 to 1999, Lepakko was a self-managed social center and music venue in Helsinki's Ruoholahti district. The building, originally a paint factory warehouse built in 1940, had previously served as a shelter for homeless people struggling with alcohol addiction. After young people occupied it, it became Finland's first public squat. The name comes from a logo on the wall that the residents interpreted as a bat. The center offered rehearsal rooms, theater spaces, and a dance school, and became an important gathering place for the local scene. It was a vital hub for Finnish punk music and also housed the radio station Radio City. In 1999, the building was cleared and demolished.