Oulu’s new Culture Centre for Children and Youth will be called Kotilo
The name of the new Oulu Culture Centre for Children and Youth, that will be opened on the fourth floor of the new City Library Saari, was revealed in the Oskari Gala on Friday November 22.
Oulu’s City Library will be called City Library Saari (Fin. island) once its renovation is finished. The Culture Centre for Children and Youth will be opened in the Library Saari’s fourth floor and its name was invented and chosen by children: Kotilo.
“We wanted to choose the name by actually working with children. Children came up with the name, and the Culture Centre for Children and Youth’s staff realized the naming work in cooperation with advertisement agency Luova Työmaa”, Children’s Culture Director Minna Halonen explains.
From brainstorming to cultural agents’ desk
During the fall of 2024, many name suggestions were given for the Culture Centre for Children and Youth by the children of Oulu. During September, over two hundred 4–12-year-old children participated in workshops where they embarked on an imaginary trip to an island surrounded by water. The workshops were implemented as part of the children’s daycare, school or hobby day. The children wrote down and drew things that they saw, experienced and found at the imaginary island: their favorite places, natural elements, imaginary things, animals, hobbies etc. They created a word bank of hundreds of words, and 25 candidates were chosen for the name.
Next up were the cultural agents: a group of about ten primary school children from Oulu who were chosen to read the name candidates and give their opinions. Based on the agents’ comments, 5 finalists were chosen: Piilo, Leija, Kotilo, Kurnu and Hattara. Only short words whose word stem is not altered in inflection were chosen. This ensured that using the name is easy and effortless in many situations.
During the Oulu City Hall’s opening ceremony, on Monday October 7, preschool and primary school groups got to hear about the naming process and the finalists. During workshops, the preschool and school children of seven schools gave their opinions on the name candidates and voted for their favorites. Children voted for all five candidates but there were two clear favorites: Hattara and Kotilo. From these two, the staff chose the name Kotilo.
Kotilo is a Finnish word meaning a gastropod (a scientific name for slugs and snails). However, in general Finnish the word kotilo refers to the shell these critters carry. The word also resembles two other Finnish words: koti and ilo, meaning home and joy.
The adults were impressed by the children’s arguments regarding the name Kotilo:
Kotilo is good because it reminds me of two words, and it’s a fun name.
I like this because it sounds nice.
Kotilo is a nice name.
I like this word because there are two lovely words in it.
The name Kotilo includes the words “koti” and “ilo”. The words bring happiness and safety.
Kotilo is pretty good because it is lively and it sounds fun.
I like Kotilo because it is kind of like home.
Kotilo is a good name because it has the words “koti” and “ilo”.
Kotilo is nice. You can listen to it.
Kotilo is really good because it is somehow cute!
The name Kotilo is so cozy.