Having recently reached the age of 50, the main building will be renovated to meet today’s requirements, bearing in mind that the building is protected. The impressive interior of the building is to be restored, keeping as much of the original as possible. Accessibility, lifts and energy efficiency will be improved. The technical building services will be renovated to meet today’s requirements. The facilities on the ground floor will be opened in the direction of Töölönlahti Park and the services will be diversified with the help of a new, modern kitchen to facilitate and streamline the work of the staff.
At the same time, renovated facilities will be provided for new services aimed at city residents and visitors.
Finlandia Hall is protected based on the Act on the Protection of the Built Heritage, as a result of which the planning of the renovation project has been conducted in collaboration with the Finnish Heritage Agency and the Alvar Aalto Foundation. Designed by architect and academician Alvar Aalto as a concert and congress hall, Finlandia Hall is one of the most significant modern buildings in Finland. It is part of our national cultural heritage.
The building is owned by the City of Helsinki, and the Urban Environment Division is responsible for planning the renovation. The contractor for the renovation is Skanska Talonrakennus Oy.
Finlandia Hall remains open without interruption
Finlandia Hall is open and will continue to be used as a conference and event centre throughout the renewal project.
For the time being, congress guests are served by Little Finlandia, temporary facilities next to Finlandia Hall. There is also a lunch café in the temporary facilities.
Recycling the old marble from the façade
The façade of Finlandia Hall will be renovated as part of the project.
The new surface material for the façade was selected on the basis of extensive studies and tests. The new material selected, marble from the Italian region of South Tyrol, is more durable than the current material and meets the protection requirements.
Removal of the old marble from the façade of Finlandia Hall started in phases in June 2022 and is estimated to continue until early 2024.
Most of the removed marble will be recycled for reuse as raw material. The operator selected through a public procurement process in summer 2022 plans to develop and manufacture natural floor and wall materials using marble chips and dust as raw materials alongside clay.
Renovation proceeds
In February 2023, the demolition work has almost been completed, and the construction of new surfaces has started.
Work is carried out underground on the Mannerheimintie side, where a new kitchen and technical facilities will be completed. The new facilities are located underground in order to minimise the need for alterations to the above-ground parts of the building.
Inside the building, the most significant changes concern readiness for new exhibition, café, restaurant and shop facilities. Building services will be completely replaced in the main building, but the work will be done without damaging the protected surfaces, preserving the original appearance of the facilities.
The building’s technical capacities will be improved to serve international conference and business guests as well as individual tourists and visitors.
The installation of the marble façades has been completed in the Finlandia Hall tower, and some of the long façades will be completed during the spring. The façades will be fully ready in spring 2024.
The construction work will be completed in autumn 2024. The design work will continue almost until the completion of the building. The design and construction organisation includes 38 people. The project management contractor currently employs 205 people, and the number is increasing all the time.