Helsinki approves plan to add hotel to historic Alexander Theatre

Helsinki city council has approved a zoning plan that will partially convert the historic Alexander Theatre into a hotel, local broadcaster Yle reports.

The original 1879 building will remain primarily in theatre use, while a 1950s extension will be replaced by a new hotel wing three storeys taller. Some of the extension’s facades will be preserved.

The redesign will remove eight rehearsal studios currently used by dance groups. Councillors acknowledged the difficulty of finding replacement spaces in the city centre.

Councillor Pirjo Lonka proposed a motion, adopted by the council, to secure alternative dance rehearsal facilities in cooperation with local dance organisations.

The building’s oldest section, completed in 1879, will be preserved for theatre use and placed under protection. The theatre originally served as Helsinki’s Russian-language theatre and later housed the National Opera from 1918 to 1993. Since 1993, it has operated as a visiting theatre.

The zoning proposal was on public display in May 2025, drawing concerns over cultural heritage, hotel operations, traffic, and the loss of rehearsal spaces. The plan also addresses environmental considerations, including impacts on local bird populations and the preservation of significant trees along Bulevardi and Albertinkatu streets.