Espoo City Theatre gains new premises in Tapiola – City Council approves project plan for theatre hall

The Revontuli Hall premises, which are currently being used by the theatre, have reached the end of their life cycle.The theatre premises have been discussed in Espoo for decades, and the matter of the theatre hall was already brought up in the context of the planning of the Espoo Cultural Centre.

“Espoo is a rapidly developing city, and cultural facilities must keep up with the growth. I cannot stress enough how important it is to finally gain the appropriate premises for Espoo City Theatre,” says Cultural Director Susanna Tommila.

The Espoo Cultural Centre has been an important hub of culture in Espoo, and the new development will increase its significance even further.

“In my opinion, the new theatre hall will boost the vitality of Espoo and the Tapiola district. At the same time, the new theatre premises will enable new forms of cooperation between the city theatre and the Espoo Cultural Centre and its various operators.”

The Espoo Cultural Centre will continue to be a vibrant and communal venue that provides locals with wonderfully diverse experiences relating to arts and culture.

“The new theatre hall will create a new cultural meeting place in Espoo. We want to have versatile cultural premises that serve a wide range of people who are interested in culture,” Tommila says.

The new and up-to-date facilities at the Espoo Cultural Centre provide an immense opportunity for the theatre, which has been staging high-quality performances in Espoo, despite the challenges related to the premises. The clear future outlook enables the theatre to continue its operations and make plans on a sustainable basis.

Thanks to the new premises, the theatre will be able to broaden its repertoire which, alongside traditional theatre, includes other types of performing arts, such as circus, musical theatre, dance and other performances. Moreover, the new premises will enable the theatre to diversify its range and serve more varied audiences.

The project was processed by the Culture Committee on 20 September 2022 and by the City Board on 10 and 31 October 2022. According to current plans, it would be possible to begin the construction of the theatre hall in 2024, which would make it available for use in the autumn season of 2027. The Council decided on 21 November 2022 that the new building will be constructed as an independently functioning complex so that it can remain in use during the renovation of the old section of the Cultural Centre, which has been planned for the future. The Council also expressed a wish for convenient pedestrian and bicycle routes to be taken into account in the further planning of the project.

Director of Espoo City Theatre Erik Söderblom sees the new theatre hall as an important opportunity for Espoo:

“We want to work together with local residents to create a new foundation for thought – a vibrant meeting place of ideas, phenomena and artistic trends. The new premises will provide a spiritual home for all kinds of people regardless of social standing or cultural background. This will be beautiful new chapter in the story of Espoo!”