Alvar Aalto designed the Finlandia Hall near Töölönlahti bay, for the City of Helsinki. It was completed in 1971.
This is the only building completed in Aalto’s scheme for the city center. His design for this 1,700 seat concert hall is largely derived from the ancient Greek theater, which some have argued hurt the acoustics design. The harsh winter conditions cracked the exterior marble cladding, so they all had to be replaced.
The form of the project is primarily a horizontal slab of vertical windows intersected by a looming auditorium tower. The white Carrara marble runs continuously through the interior where it meets warm wood finishes. The composition of dark granite and white points the visitor to the stage of the main hall.
The building is rather stately as it contains a congress wing, overall the design is impressive. But the failures of material and acoustic design, and the lack of Aalto’s trademark daylighting design, remind us that mistakes will happen.
(vestman– flickr/creative commons license)
(andrew hyde– flickr/creative commons license)
(jesagur– flickr/creative commons license)
(VilleHoo– flickr/creative commons license)
(Jorge Lascar– flickr/creative commons license)
(Rob Hurson– flickr/creative commons license)
