Finlandia Hall, a 1971 concert venue designed by Alvar Aalto on the banks of Helsinki, reopens to the public this weekend. The ribbon cutting comes after a three year renovation helmed by Arkkitehdit NRT, a local office. The new and improved Finlandia Hall has features it previously did not: A restaurant and wine cafe, exhibition space, a design shop, and even two hotel rooms open for booking by tourists and Finnish citizens alike. The concert hall annually draws 200,000 visitors and this latest round of improvements is essential for helping the institution double that in 2025.The renovated concert hall can now accommodate double the number of annual visitors. (Tuomas Uusheimo)The building is owned by the City of Helsinki. Arkkitehdit NRT took special care upgrading Finlandia Halls white clad facade, and the Aalto interiors and furnishings. Where new construction took place, the renovation architects painstakingly stayed close to the original buildings qualities and idiosyncrasies.In the cafe large windows afford expansive views out to the surrounding landscape. (Riikka Kantinkoski)Soon, Finlandia Hall will host events, concerts, congresses and meetings of all sizes. And, for some tourists, theres a new opportunity to spend the night at Finlandia Hall. Two apartments, dubbed Finlandia Homes, inside the complex previously used for staff accommodation, have been restored for booking, replete with original midcentury artworks. Theres also Finlandia Bistro, a restaurant which pays tribute to Alvar Aaltos love for Italy, officials added. At Finlandia Bistro, the furniture selection and material palette pays homage to canonical project where it was built. Aalto used Carrera marble in Finlandia, as tie to Mediterranean culture.Finlandia Bistro pays tribute to Alvar Aaltos love for Italy. (Riikka Kantinkoski)Finlandia Homes were decorated in respect to Aaltos style and furnished with Artek classics and the buildings original furniture, making them perfect for admirers of design and cultural heritage, officials shared.Two apartments were restored at Finlandia Hall, which are now available for tourists to stay overnight. (Tuomas Uusheimo)This June, a permanent exhibition will be installed that experientially tells the story of Alvar Aaltos, Aino Aaltos and Elissa Aaltos architectural and creative diversity, Finlandia Hall added. The exhibition offers an opportunity to gain deep insight into Alvar Aaltos legacy and design principles, as well as their influence on modern architecture and Finnish design.The reopening comes amid a wave of excitement in Helsinki, after five shortlisted proposals for Finlands New Museum of Architecture and Design were shared with the public last month.