House of Khronos is a conceptual work of environmental art located in Ortenoja in the municipality of Pöytyä in southwest Finland. Consisting of a property closed off to visitors by a gateless chain link fence, the work is an exploration of time and its impact on nature and the built environment. The artists donated the work to the municipality of Pöytyä on 26 October 2016. The House of Khronos is located at Pöytäsuontie 368 (some navigation programs may have 346) and is part of the cultural history trail in Pöytyä.
The closed off area consists of a former residential building and its plot. The area of the plot is 2003 square metres. Before the fence was put up, historic and landscape surveys of the property were carried out, and the flora and fauna in the area were inventoried and documented. Geological and archaeological surveys were also made. The fenced-off area is left untouched and without any maintenance or upkeep. The buildings are left to decay in peace and the plants to conquer the land. Over the centuries nature will take over the entire area and the building.
The integrity of the property is protected by official permits and agreements. The aim is to create a preserve, a no-man’s land free of human presence. Conservation status for the site was applied for under the Act on the Protection of Built Heritage and the Nature Conservation Act, but both applications were rejected by the Southwest Finland ELY Centre. The municipality of Pöytyä has committed to preserving the site and buildings.
