The Helsinki Music Centre (spelled this way because it is European) is a cool building. That’s about all I remember at this point since it has been so long since I took these photographs…
It is a nice series of glass, stone, and metal volumes that intersect and are cut away, bordered by a generous stepped lawn.
The green metal volume is a actually some kind of dimpled panel, illustrated below.
If the exterior is considered quiet, then the interior could be called loud. It isn’t crazy by any means. very clean detailing, but very nice and very interesting. You could almost call it nuanced in a positive way.
In this grand, atrium type space there is a long stair that ducks under a dangerous looking sculpture.
At night the reflections of colored light off of this artwork casts brilliant patterns throughout the space.
But the entire building isn’t so architecturally loud. The halls surrounding the main auditorium are very simple and generously dimensioned (in case you were curious about the building’s dimensions…).
And in said halls are supporting program, like a small coffee stand and tables to eat a snack at before a performance.
The glazing is held up by these interesting struts that allow the human scale space to be mullion free and could potentially be used as a pull-up bar by rambunctious Americans.
The most interesting part of the music center is the interface between the actual performance hall and the rest of the building. However, it is inevitable that the most noteworthy part of the building went undocumented by yours truly.
At night the large glazed portions of the volumes glow warm green in the cold Helsinki night.
I count five more posts about this ancient Helsinki trip before I can proceed to post about more current things guilt free. Bear with me as I get through this painfully long process.
Or don’t… I’m not in the business of telling you what to do.
OH! 