The new music hall on the Aura River bank opens in autumn 2026. Its lead designer, Tuomas Silvennoinen, has become very attached to the project.
Lead designer Tuomas Silvennoinen observes the construction of Music Hall Fuuga. Being a reserved man, he barely smiles, but you can tell that he is pleased.
– Fuuga means so much to me, since Turku and its residents are so excited about the new music hall. We could design the most beautiful building in the world, but what ultimately makes it matter is for its users to love it, he says.
And to find a place in the residents’ hearts, the building must be functional.
– In designing Fuuga, we focused a great deal on usability. Asking the users’ opinions has played a significant part of the design process, he says.
The design of the music hall is by Helsinki-based PES-Arkkitehdit, of which Silvennoinen is a lead partner and chairman of the board. The Music Hall will be constructed through a collaborative alliance model. The alliance members are the City of Turku, Hartela, PES-Arkkitehdit and WSP Finland, with Laidun-design as a subcontractor.
A music hall for all residents
The new music hall will be the home of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, but it is designed for a wider programme and events. It will be connected to the City Theatre next door, and a joint company will manage and plan their programmes together.
After all, the Music Hall will be a meeting place for all residents that allows everyone to enjoy experiences that cross the boundaries between different forms of art and services complementing them.
– We wanted Fuuga to be an easily approachable building. A place that people can come to without going to a concert or another event. This purpose is served by its restaurants, one of which has fantastic views from the rooftop terrace, says Silvennoinen.
High-quality acoustics
Silvennoinen says that the bar was set very high for the design of Fuuga.
For example, its acoustics design started with the idea that the large concert hall could be designed to have some of the best acoustics in the world.
– The best professionals in the world helped design its acoustics. We have also studied and tested it at Aalto University’s acoustics laboratory. We compared the results to similar models and results from the world’s concert halls. What we saw has been great and just what we expected, he says.
Fuuga creates vitality
Fuuga also had strict requirements to fit in the city. As the music hall will be built in a prominent spot by the river, the city wanted it to be the highlight of the cultural riverbank.
The plot itself was somewhat difficult, as it was thought to be too small. Architects are used to criticism during the design process, but Silvennoinen continues to defend his solutions.
– We thought long and hard about how we use the available space to best serve the users and audiences. You can still see the municipal office building from the river, and the foyer has an excellent view of the river, he says.
Tuomas Silvennoinen reminds us that the goal was to build a music hall that is internationally renowned and loved by the locals.
– Having such a deep connection with Turku has enriched my life. Fuuga has been on my mind for five years now, every single day. The music hall will introduce well-being and vitality into the city. There are very few things as attractive as culture, he says.
TEXT: ANNAMARI NURMINEN
PHOTO: TIMO JAKONEN
The article has been published in Finnish in Turkuposti 2, 2025.
- Under construction on the Aura River bank, next to the City Theatre.
- New home of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Total floor area to exceed 15,000 square metres.
- Houses a concert hall with 1,300 seats and a multifunctional hall with 300 seats.
- Features two restaurants, one on the roof terrace level.