The new Turku Music Centre Fuuga, the newly renovated WAM Museum of Contemporary Art and the record-breaking Turku City Theatre together form a cultural hub on the on the banks of the Aura River that is among the finest in Finland.
Photograph: Marc Goodwin
Turku makes Finnish history with landmark investment in culture. In recent years, Turku has invested more than EUR 100 million in its cultural venues.
Turku has been steadily strengthening its position as one of Northern Europe’s most exciting cultural cities. Investment in cultural venues has also created a distinctive cultural hub where art, events, architecture and urban development come together and enrich one another.
Turku Music Centre Fuuga, WAM Museum of Contemporary Art and Turku City Theatre form a cultural hub unlike any other in Finland. These three outstanding cultural venues stand side by side in the vibrant heart of the city, bringing world-class culture within easy reach. They are also part of the wider Cultural Waterfront, an area that continues to evolve and stretches from Turku’s historic Old Town to the maritime district of Linnanniemi.
Rather than simply investing in individual cultural venues, Turku has created an entire cultural environment. The city is committed to strengthening its distinctive identity and growing as a city that stands out for its cultural offering.
Increased capacity and a wider offering
The city’s investments in culture are part of Turku's City Strategy and are closely linked to urban development, tourism, quality of life, the creative economy and international attractiveness.
“We are taking a huge step forward in Turku. Culture makes the city more appealing, attracts tourists and creates jobs. The new investments that are now being completed will ensure that Turku will increasingly be seen as a city of culture,” says Piia Elo, mayor of Turku.
Fuuga will not simply replace the old concert hall; it will bring two professional-standard venues of different sizes together under one roof. The total audience capacity will increase by almost 50%, significantly expanding the scope for concerts and other events.
“Here in Turku, we already have the fantastic Logomo event venue, which is particularly well-suited for rock and pop concerts, TV productions and various galas. Together, Fuuga and Logomo will form a whole that will further strengthen Turku’s position as a city of events and music,” Elo says.
The alliance model proved its strength
Fuuga was designed with high-quality targets, all of which have been reached.
“Turku is getting a truly high-quality music centre. Fuuga will offer not only world-class acoustics, but also outstanding timber architecture and craftsmanship. The building services and energy efficiency are state of the art, and the building has been designed to work exceptionally well for both concertgoers and the people who work there. All these qualities, together with the public space featuring a restaurant and opening onto the panoramic terrace, will make Fuuga truly unique,” says Director of Urban Construction Services Kimmo Suonpää.
Turku Music Centre Fuuga was constructed using a collaborative alliance model, in which the parties were jointly responsible for reaching the quality and cost targets of the project. The alliance members are the City of Turku, Hartela, PES-Architects and WSP Finland, with Laidun-design as a subcontractor. The total cost estimate for the project is approximately EUR 90.5 million.
WAM Museum of Contemporary Art, which is located next to Fuuga, has been completely renovated and extended to meet modern requirements. The building, which was completed in 1967, was made accessible and the interior was partly restored to its original architecture.
The WAM project was implemented as a divided contract. The main contractor was Skanska Talonrakennus Oy. The principal designer was Mikko Uotila from Arkkitehtisuunnittelu Mikko Uotila Oy. The total cost estimate for the project was EUR 16.7 million.
A fantastic autumn for culture
Turku Music Centre Fuuga opens with a month-long opening festival for the public, beginning on 26 October. The first concerts in the large concert hall will be held in November.
Fuuga has a concert hall with a capacity of 1,300 and a smaller Ateljee Hall with a capacity of 350. In addition to concerts by the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, the building will host a wide range of other performances and events. Fuuga will be a building that is open to everyone. The rooftop terrace and restaurants will also be open outside of events.
WAM Museum of Contemporary Art will open to the public on 31 October. The opening programme of the museum will combine international media art, beloved sculptures by Wäinö Aaltonen and key works of the City of Turku’s art collection.