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Kulttuuritalo

Coordinates: 60°11′18″N 024°56′39″E / 60.18833°N 24.94417°E / 60.18833; 24.94417
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Kulttuuritalo
Map
General information
TypeCultural
Architectural styleModern
LocationAlppila, Helsinki, Finland
AddressSturenkatu 4
Coordinates60°11′18″N 024°56′39″E / 60.18833°N 24.94417°E / 60.18833; 24.94417
Current tenantsSodexo
Construction started1955
Completed1958
OwnerHelsingin Kulttuurihub Oy
Design and construction
Architect(s)Alvar Aalto
Other information
Seating capacity1452 + 2
Website
https://www.kulttuuritalo.fi/en/home/

Kulttuuritalo (Finnish: Kulttuuritalo, Swedish: Kulturhuset) is a building in Alppila, Helsinki, Finland. The building was designed by Alvar Aalto, and is considered to be one of his main works.

The building

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The building combines a concert hall, an office building and a lecture-theatre block connecting the two. Uniting the whole, along the street frontage, is a 60-metre (200 ft) canopy.[1]

History

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Kulttuuritalo was originally built for Finnish Communist cultural organizations. Aalto designed the building pro bono and was given complete artistic freedom; the construction work was done largely by volunteers. Work began in 1955, and the building was opened in 1958.

The building was owned by the Communist Party by a nonprofit foundation until the 1990, when the bankruptcy of the Finnish Communist Party forced its sale.

Today its owned by the government owned Senate Properties. The building is protected by a decision made by the Finnish Council of State in 1989.

Jimi Hendrix performing at Kulttuuritalo on May 22, 1967

Notable artists who have played at the venue[2] include:

References

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  1. ^ "House of Culture Helsinki by Alvar Aalto". Galinsky.com. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki, Finland Concert Setlists | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  3. ^ "Duke Ellington Helsinki 5 Feb. 1963". ELLINGTON GALAXY. 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  4. ^ "Led Zeppelin | Official Website Kulttuuritalo - February 23, 1970". Led Zeppelin | Official Website - Official Website. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2024-05-03.

Further reading

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  • Karl Fleig, Alvar Aalto, (1974), ISBN 0-275-49660-0, p33. interior photo of auditorium, p32. exterior photo of entry canopy, p31.
  • Peter Gossel and Gabrile Leuthauser, Architecture in the Twentieth Century, (1991), ISBN 3-8228-0550-5, exterior photo of wall, p243.
  • Malcolm Quantrill, Alvar Aalto: A Critical Study, (1983), ISBN 0-8052-3845-X, exterior color photo of roof and brick detail, fig VIII.
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