5. Concert Hall

Standing next to the glass belt, you can see directly into the Concert Hall and especially its magnificent organ. The acoustic design of the Concert Hall was created by world-renowned Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota. The hall is vineyard-like: the stage is in the centre and asymmetrical blocks of seats rise up all around it like vineyards on a mountainside. The hall seats 1689 people.

The wall panels are made of Finnish birch, the floors and the stairs are made of French walnut, and the hall is full of acoustic elements. These include the pinewood stage, the panel walls, the canopied soundboard hanging above the stage, and even the seats. The soft wooden stage resonates and spreads the orchestra's sound throughout the hall, while the soundboard reflects the sound to the musicians themselves in the best possible way. Holes in the panel walls at the top cut off excessive high pitches. Seats designed for Musiikkitalo reflect sound in the same way as the human body. As a result, the hall sounds the same whether it is full or empty, and rehearsal conditions are optimal. Let's focus for a moment on the new organ in the Concert Hall.

The new organ in Musiikkitalo, which was taken into use in January 2024, is the jewel of the Concert Hall. The organ was planned for the Concert Hall during the construction phase, but was abandoned due to cost. The organ project was finally launched in 2017, when composer Kaija Saariaho donated 1 million euros as seed money for the project. The City of Helsinki, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and several foundations also provided additional funding for the organ. The project cost a total of 4.4 million euros. A large number of private individuals have also contributed to the financing of the organ by buying organ pipes with the individuals' names on them. The unprecedented organ was hand-built by the Austrian company Rieger Orgelbau.

From the outset, it was considered important that composers should be able to write new music for the organ. The aim was to see the organ as an instrument of the future, rich in tone and suitable for a wide range of music. Composers are particularly attracted to the instrument because of the numerous auxiliary devices and technical solutions that inspire new music. These include a microtonal whistle, an adjustable air pressure system, and numerous upper fret layers. The organ has two consoles, one on the stage and one upstairs next to the organ. This allows the organist to work right next to the conductor and in full view of the audience. The original design was for an organ with 50-60 stops, but thanks to successful funding, the organ was eventually built with as many as 124 stops.

The options for the façade of the organ were discussed at length. It was felt that it was important to allow the public to see the organ in all its beauty and not to hide it when it was not in use. The designers settled on a monumental solution. The public can also see inside the organ when the doors of the façade are open.

According to the design team, the living design of the organ facade was intended to make the organ a living organism. After all, it is an instrument that breathes. The exposed plumbing is inspired by many artists and buildings. It is inspired by the Pompidou Centre and Finnish monuments such as the Sibelius Monument. The sculptural façade is also functional. It features 10 resonating bass pipes and air ducts that carry air from the bare room under the organ through the hall to the organ pipes. The four largest wooden pipes on either side of the organ, for example, receive their air through these 3D-printed ducts.

The organ in the Concert Hall of Musiikkitalo is a work of art, built in collaboration with 60 masters in their field, and brought to life for the public by an organist. In that moment, the instrument becomes a musical instrument, and the audience can forget the technology inside the instrument. The organ's incredible range of sounds is a listening experience that everyone must experience for themselves.

Walk forward now and you will next see a long mirror to your right. After the mirror, turn right and stop in front of the door: this is the entrance to the Sibelius Academy. If the door is open, you can go inside for the next point.