After a 3-year renovation, Finlandia Hall reopened to the public in January 2025. This iconic event centre, designed by renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and located in the heart of Helsinki, also received a major upgrade of its lighting system, with respect for existing architecture. CLS Distributor Audico Systems and Tunto combined their expertise to create solutions that blend modern LED technology harmoniously with Aalto’s 1971 design language. Tunto recreated and custom built as many as 800 fixtures (representing 18 different models), following the buildings original aesthetic.
“We created identical models of the existing lamps and began testing them. We discovered a way to make those lamps and duplicate them for each model,” says Mikko Kärkkäinen, Managing Director at Tunto. “It’s amazing to see how Aalto’s iconic lighting fixtures have been brought into the modern era while preserving their original character and ambiance. This project is a unique fusion of history and technological progress,”
After careful consideration, CLS Ruby- and Ruby Compact ColourFlow luminaires were selected to modify and integrate into 300 of the afore mentioned fixtures, that can primarily be found in the auditoriums (Finlandia Hall, Helsinki Hall), but also at various other positions throughout the venue. They play a key role in adjusting the atmosphere of each space, tailored to the event, highlighting the hall’s architectural features.
“The light sources of the original Alvar Aalto fixtures were to be replaced with modern LED lights, which can produce various colours, besides white, to create different types of lighting scenarios,” says Tapio Järvinen, Project Sales Manager at Audico Systems. “Our most important goal was to tackle all the various technical challenges related to optics, reflections and the amount of light produced by a single lamp.”
The Ruby series proved to be the perfect choice when it came to output, colour mixing, dimming properties and of course their compact size, allowing for integration into existing design forms. The result is a versatile lighting system that not only integrates seamlessly into the venue’s unique architecture, but also enhances Finlandia Hall’s role as a dynamic event venue. The new setup enables dynamic lighting scenarios and creates a more flexible environment for events, while creating a much more consistent visual impact than ever before.
Tapio Järvinen continues: “What makes Finlandia Hall exceptional to many other event centres, is that we are able to bring the atmosphere of the event space to the foyers and lobbies.” According to Ilari Suonpää, Head of Technical Department at Finlandia Hall, that brings event production to an entirely new level: “We now have seamless control and an immersive atmosphere without the need for extra lighting equipment, allowing us to deliver even more impactful and high-quality experiences to our clients.”
For CLS LED – with its roots in theatrical applications and a strong reputation to uphold when it comes to fully customisable products – Finlandia Hall proved to be an exceptional showcase. Not only in singe batch production numbers on time, but also in additional modifications to both hard- and software to ensure a perfect fit in Finlandia Halls complex lighting system.
‘Nevertheless,“ says Michiel Thijssen, Export Manager at CLS LED, “All our advancements in LED luminaire technology, those are often just the first steps in a project process. Ultimately, it’s about what our partners are able to achieve with our products creatively and us supporting that with the right technology. Finlandia Hall is a perfect example of how synergy works if you get the best experts in their field to collaborate. It obviously required time, dedication and passion to create a result that is not only stunning, but at the same time respects existing architecture.”
Project / Venue: Finlandia Hall (Talo): (https://finlandiatalo.fi/en/)
CLS Distributor / AV Technology: Audico Systems (www.audicosystems.com)
Fixture Design / Production: Tunto (www.tunto.com)
Lighting Design: Granlund (www.granlundgroup.com)
Electrical Design: Ramboll (www.ramboll.com)
Photos and Video Production by: Ville Heiskanen – Inspiroiva Creative (https://inspiroiva.fi)
