Turku Music Centre Fuuga

Location: Turku, Finland
Size: 15,200 m2
Functions: Concert hall, Multifunctional auditorium, Rehearsal rooms, Café, Restaurant
Scope: Architecture, Interior, Furniture design, Graphic design
Status: Competition win 2021, completed 2026
Client: City of Turku

AN OPEN CULTURAL LANDMARK ON THE BANKS OF THE AURA RIVER

The architecture responds to its historically significant surroundings through a considered composition of forms, materials and views. Rather than seeking to stand apart as an isolated icon, Fuuga establishes a dialogue with the neighbouring Turku City Theatre and WAM Museum of Contemporary Art, complementing the cultural landscape of the riverfront. Its distinctive character is based on rounded, inviting shapes as well as its visual openness and connection to its surroundings.

The building’s sculptural form is defined by a jagged, pre-patinated copper facade, whose rhythm of curved and angled elements alternates with transparent glazing. The facade frames views of the river, reveals activity within and gives the building a lively, welcoming character. From the inside, carefully selected openings offer intimate views across the Aura River and its opposite bank.

A generous entrance plaza connects Fuuga to the city, the riverfront and the adjacent theatre, to which it also links to underground. A rooftop garden and terrace introduce a new public green space, our addition to the competition brief as a replacement for the former park on the site. The scenic terrace is open to visitors even outside performances, allow sweeping views over the city and river.

Inside, the main foyer extends across the upper floors, where a curved ceramic-clad wall wraps around the performance halls.

As the heart of the building, the 1,342-seat concert hall is conceived as an instrument, with acoustics rigorously prioritised to create a world-class venue for orchestral music. The hall was developed through close collaboration between the architects, acousticians and musicians as well as the latest computational tools and the Aalto University sound lab.

In contrast to the dark, angular exterior copper facade, the concert hall features light-toned and gently flowing, double-curved surfaces for an immersive musical experience. Carved from CNC-milled solid spruce, the sculptural forms serve the acoustic performance of the hall.

The 300-seat multifunctional Ateljee hall doubles as a rehearsal hall. The performance spaces are complemented by a restaurant, café, and extensive rehearsal facilities and working spaces for the orchestra.

Material choices reinforce the connection to the local context. Copper and ceramic relate to the surrounding architecture, while timber and concrete define the performance spaces. Above the concert hall, tall clerestory windows introduce daylight into the space, giving the building’s distinctive crown a presence in the city by day and a welcoming glow in the evening.

Fuuga is conceived as more than a concert venue: it is a shared cultural place where architecture opens towards the city, music brings people together and public life continues throughout the day.

Photos: Marc Goodwin, Martin Lukasczyk