Alvar Aalto wanted to make the Finlandia building, completed in 1971, a symbol of Finland. He designed the building as a complete work of art, with every detail, from the lamps, door handles, seats and other furniture, being the work of Aalto and his office. Finlandia House is described as one of the most beautiful buildings in Helsinki and its futuristic look has not lost its charm over the decades. Since its opening, countless events and experiences have taken place within its walls. In line with Aalto's vision, people are at the heart of everything - performers and audiences. The architecture should provide the perfect setting and atmosphere for events, without stealing the limelight.
Finlandia House has recently undergone a major renovation. Completed in January 2025, the project involved renovating the interior and exterior of the building to meet modern requirements. During the renovation, the marble façade of Finlandia House was replaced and the building's accessibility, lift connections, energy efficiency and building services were updated to the present day. PAP's role in this major project was to ensure that the National Treasure is controlled with the best possible fire safety solutions.
Comprehensive range of the most modern fire safety technologies
PAP rolled up its sleeves for the Finlandia building project in autumn 2022. "We were commissioned to carry out the project by Quattroservices, the electrical contractor for the project, and Skanska, the construction company chosen for the overall implementation of the project," says PAP's Sales Manager Nuutti Panula. "The electrical design of the project was carried out jointly with Finlandia House by Ramboll. Our task was to review and complete this plan from a fire safety perspective and to ensure that all the modern requirements for fire alarm systems were met. We also took care of system commissioning, programming and testing of the central equipment and coordination of inspections by the authorities."
The Finlandia building's fire detection system includes a comprehensive range of the most up-to-date fire safety technology available. "The building is a historically valuable space and therefore cannot be used everywhere. This means that the sprinklers need to be complemented by other fire safety solutions. We installed fire alarm buttons, sirens, fire detectors and fire alarms in the public areas of the Finlandia building. A sampling system was installed in the technical attic spaces. We were also responsible for the supply and commissioning of the public address system. The systems on site are operated via a graphical user interface that we installed."
Unique destination means unique challenges
As Aaltok originally envisioned, the focus of Finlandia Hall today is still on people. Naturally, this also placed demands on the installation of fire detection systems. "This is a building designed in the 1970s and of cultural and historical significance," says Roope Kinnunen, Project Manager at PAP. "The installation of the systems had to pay special attention to the architectural aspect, as the appearance of the building had to remain in line with Aalto's design. It was not allowed to leave anything visible except the absolutely mandatory parts of the system."
Due to visual constraints, the placement and colour scheme of detectors and other equipment was carefully considered with the architect and the electrical contractor. "White sampling tubes were installed in the ballrooms to help them blend into the background. The visible detectors were covered with trim elements and the cable routes were designed to be as unobtrusive as possible."
According to Roope Kinnunen, the use of Finlandia Hall as an event and experience venue also had to be taken into account in fire safety planning. "In Finlandia Hall, a disconnection device was installed that enables smoke detectors to be switched off when smoke is produced in the space by the performance technology. In these situations, fire safety is ensured by means of heat detectors."
Cabling in such an old building was an area of its own to solve. "The wiring and cabling routes in this building are really challenging, as they go around different technical shafts and inside the intermediate floors, among other things. The planning and implementation of the cabling was therefore a major part of the project."
Attention was also given to making fire safety equipment as easy to maintain as possible. "For example, the maintenance of the detectors in Finlandia Hall was solved in such a way that it can be carried out from the attic without having to erect scaffolding in the hall itself.
The best possible fire protection for architectural buildings
According to Nuutti Panula, Finlandia House was a unique project for PAP as well. "We have previously been involved in building fire protection for sites of cultural and historical significance, such as the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. However, Finlandia Hall was in a class of its own in terms of its special features. We did a great job on this project and are now even more experienced in protecting this type of site. From now on, we will take care of the service and maintenance of the fire alarm systems in Finlandia Hall."
In sites of cultural and historical significance, if anywhere, fire safety really needs to be addressed. "Finlandia Hall was designed to be a symbol of Finland, and that's what it really is. Nothing less than the best is enough to ensure fire safety in buildings like this - and PAP can design and implement that for prestigious buildings."
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Photos: media bank of Finlandia House