Architecture

The Dance House Helsinki project, designed in collaboration between JKMM Architects and ILO Architects, is a long-awaited milestone in the history of Finnish performing arts. The building comprises over 5,400 square metres dedicated entirely to dance – offering world-class facilities for the performance and experience of dance and circus.

The Dance House complex consists of a striking new building and renovated spaces within the former industrial premises of the Cable Factory.

Dance House Helsinki was completed in December 2021 and officially inaugurated on 2 February 2022. The building was nominated for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture in 2023.

Dance as Inspiration

The architecture of Dance House Helsinki is inspired by dance, an influence clearly reflected in its façades. Massive steel walls, seemingly suspended above ground, appear to defy gravity. The layered volumes of the building are wrapped in shimmering aluminium “scales” that create rhythmic surfaces. Behind the sense of lightness and immateriality lies thousands of kilograms of steel. As in dance, the illusion of weightlessness requires strength.

In addition to two state-of-the-art performance halls, the more than 5,400 square metres dedicated to dance include backstage and rehearsal facilities for performers, office spaces, restaurant facilities with a professional kitchen and public foyers with front-of-house services.

Dance House Helsinki is like a vast modern machine for dance, one that connects with the historic industrial character of the Cable Factory. That is why the building is raw, weighty and firmly grounded. The spaces are industrial in scale, and many of the details resemble the components of a machine.

The Moment of Performance – Interior Spaces

Behind the steel and concrete surfaces of Dance House Helsinki lie high-quality technical solutions and carefully considered details. The building invites visitors to step into the world of dance and art with an open mind.

The entrance foyer features an interactive light installation titled Toinen (“The Other”) by artist Eetu Huhtala. The work responds to the movements of people in the space, transforming into art through interaction.

The bold tones of the interior, combined with robust materials, lighting that plays with light and shadow, and various reflective surfaces, create an atmosphere attuned to the moment of performance. The fixed furnishings and spatial design make the entire building feel like a vast, ever-changing stage. As visitors move from one space to another, they assume roles—at best, they may feel as though they are part of the performance itself.