Acoustics is the most important thing at Music Centre Fuuga
Long‑awaited new music centre Fuuga will soon open its doors in Turku, Finland! Construction is nearing completion, and the first concerts will be held in autumn 2026. Excellent acoustics and functional performance technology are essential in Fuuga, just as in all music performance venues.
Akukon is responsible for the acoustic and performance technology design of Fuuga. The acoustic design is carried out in collaboration with the Belgian company Kahle Acoustics. The project teams are currently working long days to ensure a first‑class experience for both audiences and performers.
Fuuga is being built by an alliance led by the City of Turku, with PES-Architects as the principal designer and Hartela as the builder.
Acoustics in Fuuga – A comprehensive whole
The word acoustics is a broad concept that can refer to almost any assessment, study, or design of sound as audible vibration. In construction context, we talk about building acoustics that means sound transmitted between rooms, and room acoustics meaning sound reflections within a room.
In a concert hall, both must be top-notch, and world-class music halls like Fuuga are always designed with “acoustics first” in mind.
A concert hall must be extremely quiet. For example, ventilation, traffic noise, and sounds from adjacent areas must not disturb musical performances. Achieving this silence requires successful building acoustics design. Good building acoustics is also crucial in practice rooms and workspaces within a music centre.
The room acoustics of the main hall must create an environment where musicians can play comfortably and the audience can listen with enjoyment. The hall must provide an experience that supports composition and interpretation. The direction and amount of sound reflections must be exactly right, and the reverberation time and quality must be perfectly balanced.
Akukon's Sara Vehviläinen and Perttu Laukkanen are responsible for the acoustics of Fuuga. The room acoustics of the main hall have been designed together with the Kahle Acoustics team, with Eckhard Kahle as the responsible acoustics designer. Many other experts from Akukon and Kahle Acoustics, such as Yann Jurkiewicz, also participate in the work. Professor Tapio Lokki from Aalto University participates as an expert on behalf of the City of Turku.
Successful acoustics require more than design alone — much of the work lies in solving practical issues during construction and ensuring quality.
Performance technology enables a rich musical experience
Good acoustics alone do not guarantee an excellent experience for audiences and performers. A concert hall also needs performance technology, meaning lighting, audio systems, projection systems and stage mechanics.
The performance must be visually enjoyable and support the artistic content of the music. This requires high-quality lighting and projection technology. And although a symphony orchestra typically performs acoustically, the hall must also have sound equipment for amplified music and spoken events.
Mechanical systems are needed for rigging lighting, sound and projection equipment as well as adjustable acoustic elements. These include rigging systems, orchestra lifts, an acoustic canopy above the orchestra, and adjustable curtains that modify reverberation.
The project manager for performance technology design is Tapio Ilomäki from Akukon, and the mechanical design is led by Toni Silvola. Many other Akukon specialists contribute as well.
Performance technology is implemented by Audico Systems, and mechanical systems by Insta Automation.
As with acoustics, the implementation of presentation technology also requires the input of designers to solve practical challenges and ensure quality.
Fuuga Opens 12–14 November 2026
