Architecture

Dance House Helsinki – a landmark designed in terms of dance

THE DANCE BEGINS

After decades of waiting, Dance House Helsinki is ready to start operating as the spearhead of dance. Dance House Helsinki is a unique undertaking; there are only a handful of similar buildings to be found in the whole world.

Dance House Helsinki and the renovated Cable Factory together form a significant entity – Helsinki's liveliest and most compelling place is waking up; the dance is about to commence.

DANCE AS INSPIRATION

It has been a privilege for us architects to be involved in creating a unique new home for dance. The architecture has gained its inspiration from dance; its principles rather than forms. The huge metal walls on the main façade seem to float in the air, defying gravity. The mirrored metal surface creates the illusion of a darkening night with its reflections. The underlying intangibility and lightness are the “muscles of the building,” tens of thousands of kilos of steel. On the park side, hundreds of metal sequins create an ensemble of rhythmic surfaces against the sky.

DANCE MACHINE

Dance House Helsinki is like a huge modern “dance machine” that becomes part of an old factory. That is why Dance House Helsinki is an industrial heavyweight – firmly rooted in the ground. The facilities are on an industrial scale and the individual characteristics of Dance House Helsinki can be identified as parts of the machine. The new meets the old and together they create a new future.

TIME FOR PERFORMANCE

Without the dancers, the audience and the performance, the architecture of the Dance House Helsinki is not yet complete – the people and lights complete the picture. When you enter through the high steel door of Dance House Helsinki, it feels like you have entered the stage yourself: a person is in the spotlight on a huge stage. Efforts have been made to construct a unique atmosphere attuned to performances, in the interior of the building.

The black interiors feature surprising red spaces, rough materials and reflective surfaces. The moment of the performance has arrived.

Teemu Kurkela, JKMM Architects

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.