Turku’s Fuuga concert hall nears completion under strict cost controls

Turku’s new Fuuga concert hall is nearing completion after construction was kept under strict cost controls, Yle reports. The approximately 90 million euro project is due to open to the public on 26 October 2026.

Fuuga is the city’s largest recent construction project. Its main auditorium will seat 1,300 people, with acoustics designed by leading experts.

The building has attracted attention from residents since the project began. Passers-by have stopped to photograph it and assess whether its appearance matches the original visualisations. Several residents interviewed by Yle said the nearly completed building looked consistent with the plans.

Building designed to glow from within

Chief designer Tuomas Silvennoinen of the architecture firm PES-Arkkitehdit said Fuuga would have the illuminated appearance shown in the visualisations, although it will not have traditional lighting across its entire facade.

Instead, exterior lighting will highlight the tall section of the concert hall, while the building’s glow will mainly come from inside. A pale floor and a long wall made from ceramic rods in earthy colours will form a prominent feature behind the foyer. The undulating ceramic wall is expected to create a strong facade effect in the evening light.

Silvennoinen said he was particularly pleased with how the building responds to sunlight. The evening sun will illuminate parts of the copper-coloured building from the direction of the harbour.

The facade material was changed from copper to aluminium during construction because of costs. Copper prices rose after Russia invaded Ukraine. Silvennoinen said the change also allowed the designers to create a folded aluminium facade that catches the light in different ways.

Costs closely monitored

Silvennoinen said the plans changed unusually little during construction. The project team focused on staying within the financial framework it had been given.

Experiences from the construction of Logomo Bridge and the Funicular incline lift in Turku influenced the project’s targets and working methods, he said. The team spent an unusually large amount of time weighing alternatives and finding solutions that would keep costs at the right level.

Fluctuating construction costs and an unpredictable global situation also affected the work. Silvennoinen said changes were normal, but he was pleased that Fuuga had required relatively few of them.

Concert hall and rooftop terrace are highlights

Silvennoinen named the main concert hall as one of his favourite parts of Fuuga. His architecture firm has designed three similar halls in China, while Fuuga’s auditorium is a Finnish interpretation of some of the same themes.

His other favourite place is the roof, which was not included in the original space programme. The project team developed the idea during the design competition. The rooftop terrace will be open to the public and include a restaurant and an observation deck.

The location for the building was decided in 2020. Earthworks took place in October and November 2023, followed by excavation and piling in early 2024. The foundations were completed in spring 2024, the frame in early 2025, and the facade and roof in autumn 2025. Interior work is due to be completed in spring 2026.