The HPO moves to the Helsinki Music Centre

The project leading to the construction of the Helsinki Music Centre got under way in 1992, on the initiative of the Sibelius Academy. Two years later, the Academy was joined in the venture by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and an international competition was announced in 1999 for the building.

LPR-Arkkitehdit were chosen as the Centre’s architects, and the acoustic design was assigned to Yasuhisa Toyota. A property company was established in 2005. The building project lasted many years and the Centre was officially handed over on 30th April 2011.

In the opinion of some, the Helsinki Music Centre project was slow, yet as a whole, it was more than 50 years shorter than that of Finlandia Hall! Kajanus and Hannikainen, two of those who had in their day staunchly campaigned for a “music centre”, would probably have been in ecstasies over the Helsinki Music Centre consisting of not only a main hall but of five smaller ones plus rehearsal rooms as well. For once, players could luxuriate in spacious facilities with good acoustics!

Source: Helsinki Music Centre website