In Turku, Finland, the flexible Logomo Hall can adapt to whatever size or shape most suitable for the event of the evening. On one night it can provide a compact 1,100-seat square space ideal for a chamber orchestra or jazz ensemble. Within a few hours, it can be transformed into an elongated rectangle accommodating 3,500 for a rock concert. While with the push of a button, its permanently installed Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system instantly optimizes acoustical response for both the current room configuration and the event at hand, whether a concert, conference, play, film or opera.
STORY BY Dewald Haynes photos by Jussi Tiainen
The Principal architect for this versatile project was Finnish born and Turku-based architect Pekka Vapaavuori. As part of a refurbished industrial complex, that was originally built for railway maintenance, the hall shares its particular space with a pre-function lobby and offices, the extraordinary physical internal versatility is made possible by a massive seating stand that glides back and forth on compressed air cushions. One space shrinks while the other enlarges to form three hall sizes, while the stage also offers three different configurations.
As expected with industrial buildings in Finland, the original complex was built in several stages, the oldest parts in the 1890s and the newest in the 1970s. The design conversion of this historical building into a public convention center started in 2009 and the construction, which is still ongoing, was completed in several stages. The site is an old industrial site by the railroad yard which is still in use and the city’s plan for the site has not yet been enforced. “The most challenging task of this whole process has been planning the complex in stages while not even completely knowing all the end users, as the brief changed slightly mid-flight,” Vapaavuori explains.
There were also several systems that were introduced very late in the process. To name one: The Meyer Sound D-Mitri digital audio platform, which is a state of the art sound system to alter the acoustical properties of the room. This addition meant that 76 microphones and 223 self-powered loudspeakers and 12 compact subwoofers had to be accommodated inside the walls and ceiling and needed to be accounted for on the blueprints at the very last minute. The constellation allows for nine individualized hall/stage sound adjustments, each with a full array of acoustical environments as defined by reverberation time, early decay time, strength, clarity, and bass ratio.
The division of the areas became virtually effortless considering the structure of the old building. Construction in several stages also intuitively created areas, which were relatively easy to separate from each other, both physically and acoustically . The complicated part was finding the right routes to connect the areas and create the most effective foot-traffic flow through the building. The flow of spectators, staff and the backstage production crews was the key issues that guided the design of the complex. Another great challenge, due to the nature of the project, was that is was not exactly clear what the adjacent areas would eventually be used for. The concept was formulated to mimic a town festival, in other words, to create a complex where spectators would be guided in through the main hall into a lobby from which all the different venues could then be accessed. On the other hand,it needed to be certain that there would be a way to separate the crowds and guide them in through the many entrances around the building, in case of separate overlapping events. To accommodate this scenario several entrances around the complex, that are internally connected, was installed. The separate entrances and halls can also be effectively utilised when the Logomo Hall is filled to its maximum capacity to ease congestion.
The Logomo arts and entertainment complex comprises several former railway workshop buildings now joined under one roof. The facilities include a restaurant, art galleries, workshops, offices, studios and meeting spaces. Originally planned as offices for the creative sector the users vary from entrepreneurs to large corporate companies. The main focus was to make the area as open and accessible as possible. The office areas are divided into three different categories. The larger units range from 70-220 square meters and are designed as more traditional office spaces. These spaces are situated in the three storeys on both sides of the main hall. Inside the main hall are four separate freestanding buildings which house small offices that are each below 50 square meters. These small offices open to the office street and have their own terraces in front. The idea is that you can either work in your small unit or take your laptop and work anywhere in the common area. The third kind of office space manifested as an open area, which is located on the third floor of the main hall. This is a totally open space where you can rent a desk for just one week or for a longer period.
With the hall as the centerpiece of a refurbished industrial complex the entire internal space accommodates modern developments while preserving the architectural structural facade of an older building. Through the finesse of its flexibility Logomo Hall presents fine art, culture and architecture in harmonious unity for the greater good of a modern society.