When the iconic Finlandia Hall closed its doors for a three-year renovation, the aim was to restore the building — in the spirit of Alvar Aalto — into a modern, functional and experiential whole. As part of Finlandia Hall’s renovation, the Finlandia Exhibition was created — a vivid and immersive show telling the story of Aalto, his collaborators including Aino Aalto and Elissa Aalto, their architecture and design, and offering insight into Finnish history, internationalism and the future.
Two exhibition halls — “Land of Forests” and “Together” — spaces which previously served as storage rooms — needed something essential: acoustic control. The rooms were literally echo chambers, and their sound environment didn’t meet the demands of an exhibition. What was needed was peace, atmosphere and narrative — an environment where sound supports content instead of detracting from it.
“Ewona was the obvious choice”
The architect responsible for the project, Taina Väisänen, remembers the moment the solution was found.
“The sound designer Aki Päivärinne immediately said that Ewona’s acoustic panels would fit perfectly. It was practically an obvious decision. We wanted a domestic product, and Ewona met all the requirements.”
The challenge in the exhibition spaces was multifaceted. The exhibition spaces’ colour palette — forest green, terracotta and natural tones — had to remain consistent. At the same time, the acoustic solution needed to be visually cohesive and technically effective.
When wall-to-wall carpet and Ewona’s acoustic panels were added to the rooms, the spaces were completely transformed. The echo diminished, reverberation time shortened, and sound stopped traveling between rooms.
“The difference was huge. The rooms changed from echoing chambers into a coherent whole, perfectly suitable for exhibitions,” says Väisänen.
Collaboration that ran smoothly
Finlandia Hall’s exhibition spaces were not easy targets. The curved-shaped rooms, located under the concert hall, were low and full of building systems — which made acoustic design more complicated than usual. The solutions could not just rely on standard practices; they had to be carefully tailored to the intended use of the space.
“We discussed a lot what is the best solution for such a demanding space. Together, we reviewed the panel mass, mounting methods, and how much material would be needed. Deliveries stayed on schedule and everything proceeded very smoothly,” Väisänen recounts.
Thanks to this precise collaboration, the acoustic panels could be planned so that the space would work both from the sound point of view and from the architectural perspective.
Soundscape and narrative go hand in hand
Sound designer Aki Päivärinne built the exhibition’s soundscape as a central part of the experience. Each gallery tells a story where the sound should guide visitors unobtrusively forward. Thus the acoustics had to support the dramaturgy — not break it.
“Sound must stay where it belongs and be absent where it doesn’t. Now sound works exactly where it should, and stays away where it shouldn’t be,” says Finlandia Hall’s project manager Annikka Alanko.
The result is a space that feels calm, controlled and balanced. The soundscape is part of the exhibition experience, but it does not distract from the content itself.
Silence that elevates the exhibition
Finlandia Hall’s renewed exhibition space is now acoustically clear and perceptibly peaceful — exactly the kind of environment where the stories can shine. Ewona helped solve the challenging acoustic environment and in doing so contributed to creating a setting where sound, light and architecture support each other.
“The outcome is excellent. The sound environment works exactly as it should. We are extremely satisfied,” Alanko sums up.