Finlandia Hall refurbishment

The renovation of Finlandia Hall was exceptional both in its scope and the degree of challenge involved. It comprised a number of upgrades designed to enhance both technical and functional performance: energy efficiency and accessibility have both been improved, technical building systems overhauled and behind-the-scenes facilities improved. The existing marble cladding was replaced and a practically invisible extension added which now houses the building’s kitchen. 

Finlandia Hall, the Aalto-designed event space in the centre of the Finnish capital, is arguably the city’s single most important modernist building. Originally intended as a concert hall, this Lasa marble-clad design is an architectural monument of national and international symbolic importance. 

The renovation, carried out over a period of two years, was exceptional both in its scope and the degree of challenge involved. It comprised a number of upgrades designed to enhance both technical and functional performance: energy efficiency and accessibility have both been improved, technical building systems overhauled and behind-the-scenes facilities improved. The existing marble cladding was replaced and a practically invisible extension added which now houses the building’s kitchen. 

The brief for the works was to ensure that Finlandia Hall was ideally set up to continue to serve its purpose as a venue for many kinds of events.

A priority for the design team was to work sensitively with the fabric of this historic building and to retain, as far as possible, its original ambiance. Technically and materially demanding, the renovation has been carried out with the utmost respect for the building’s unique character. The all-important patina that so brilliantly complements modernist buildings has not been lost during the process.

Sustainability and energy efficiency have been key considerations throughout. The copper roof materials were immediately repurposed, while the old marble cladding was auctioned off to a new home.

The cultural importance of the Finlandia Hall renovation cannot be overstated, and the contribution it represents to the repair and retention of Finland’s modernist built heritage means that its impact will be felt far beyond the building’s walls. It is a case study and a blueprint for the repair of valuable examples of modernist architecture both in Finland and elsewhere.