Finlandia Hall

Finlandia Hall is a concert hall with a congress wing in Helsinki, by Töölönlahti bay. It was designed by Alvar Aalto and completed in 1971. The main features of the building's exterior are the great horizontal mass of the building proper and the towering auditorium that rises above it. Notable also is the exterior cladding, done in Carrara marble. The relatively thin marble slabs tend to acquire curvature in the course of time and have needed to be replaced with great expense.

Completion

Finlandia hall was completed in 1971. The congress wing was being designed even before the completion of the main wing, and was completed in 1975. It was opened just in time for the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (later to be renamed OSCE), during which the heads of state from thirty-two countries visited Helsinki. The Helsinki Final Act was signed at Finlandia Hall. Despite construction troubles, Finlandia Hall counts among Aalto's top work.

Related Topics:
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe - OSCE - Helsinki Final Act

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