Delays to Music Centre may postpone other prospective culture projects in Helsinki

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Some cultural figures in Helsinki have expressed concern that the problems of the capital’s planned Music Centre could have an unfavourable impact on future construction projects.
      Maija Berndtson, the Director of Helsinki City Library, is a long-standing advocate of a new Central Library for the capital, while Severi Blomstedt, the Director of the Museum of Finnish Architecture, has demanded additional space for the museum. They both fear that the delays to the Music Centre could also slow down other prospective cultural projects.
      "How can one develop the City when construction is so difficult? It is alarming and surprising that tenders are not received from the construction sector", says Berndtson.
     
The proposed place for the new Helsinki Central Library is the Töölönlahti Bay area. According to the latest plans, the new cultural centre, a combination of books and modern technology, would be completed by the centenary of Finland in 2017.
      "We will have to learn from this in order to avoid the pitfalls encountered by the Music Centre. We could adopt new kinds of modes of operation and funding systems, including sponsoring", Berndtson notes.
     
An annex has also been planned between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum. Initially, the extension was expected to be built in a period of ten years. However, Severi Blomstedt believes already now that the schedule will not be met.
      Berndtson and Blomstedt are not willing to suggest who should pay for the possible budget overrun on the Music Centre, nor can they find any single cause for the situation.
      However, Jorma Bergholm, the Chairman of the Board of the Helsinki Theatre Foundation, claims that he knows how this all will end.
      "The Music Centre will be built, and the costs will be a hell of a lot higher than anybody could expect, while all three parties to the project are falling over themselves to blame others", Bergholm argues.
     
While not trying to suggest what would be a sensible step to take, Bergholm regards a time-out as a good alternative, as construction costs could come down in six or twelve months.
     
Details of the latest setbacks in the saga of constructing a new music complex in the centre of Helsinki are given in the links below.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Helsinki Music Centre may be delayed by lack of interest from construction companies (30.10.2007)
  EUR 6 million shaved off price of Helsinki Music Centre (3.10.2007)
  Helsinki´s new Central Library to be given the go-ahead (14.5.2007)

Links:
  Helsinki City Library
  Museum of Finnish Architecture
  Design Museum

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