A significant renovation was carried out at Finlandia Hall from 2022 to 2024, updating the building's facilities, services, and security to modern standards. Finland's most popular high-security property alarm system was chosen for this top-tier representative venue.
Located in the heart of Helsinki, on the shore of Töölönlahti, the Alvar Aalto-designed Finlandia Hall reopened to the public in January 2025 after a three-year renovation. One of the most important aspects of the renovation of this congress and event center, which symbolizes Finnishness, was the selection of new security systems.
"Approximately 800 events and gatherings are held at the hall annually, attracting nearly 130,000 visitors. The safety of the facilities and events is vital to us," summarizes Heikki Mäkelä, Technical Service Manager and Security Manager at Finlandia Hall Oy.
High Security Criteria
A key role in security planning was the selection of an alarm system to protect the building's exterior and interior.
"Finlandia Hall is also an architectural landmark. The system's task is to ensure the building's safety at all times, even when staff is not present," says Mäkelä.
The system selection was advanced in collaboration with Certego Oy, the leading Nordic security company specializing in critical infrastructure security, which acted as the security contractor and partner for the renovation.
"The selection criteria set by the client were based on higher-than-normal security requirements for an architecturally and spatially exceptional site. The client and architect also had specific requirements regarding the placement and colors of the equipment," explains Sami Wuorenjuuri, Sales Manager at Certego.
Sustainability was also emphasized in the security system choices. The system was to be procured from a manufacturer that would stay alongside the client for a long time and whose values aligned with those of Finlandia Hall and the City of Helsinki.
Unanimous Choice
The choice was made for Hedengren Security's domestic HHL C alarm system.
"The selection was influenced by the previous experiences of the property owner and security planners. HHL has established itself as the primary alarm system for the City of Helsinki, and we also have good experiences with the system's performance in demanding sites," says Wuorenjuuri from Certego.
From the security contractor's perspective, the HHL C system emerged as the best option due to its quality and versatility.
"The HHL C system easily scales to different sizes and types of sites, is reliable, and has a very clear configuration," describes Wuorenjuuri.
For the client, the flexibility in programming the two HHL C 256 centers was particularly important.
"As a domestic, reliable manufacturer, Hedengren Security also met all our expectations regarding sustainability," says Mäkelä from Finlandia Hall.
High-Quality Outcome
The Technical Service Manager praises the outcome as clear and functional.
"We received a high-quality and reliable alarm system for the building, with easy-to-use controllers throughout the building. This is important because the property also has separate apartments that are used even when the rest of the building is empty and shell-protected," says Mäkelä.
According to Mäkelä, the monitoring of the premises is also enhanced by the fact that the site's alarm notifications go to the security partner, who reports all deviations to the client.
According to Wuorenjuuri, the renovation took Finlandia Hall's security to a completely new level.
"The security systems took a ten-step leap forward in development. We were able to create a functional and easy way for the user to operate the alarm system in a demanding site. This includes, among other things, system on and off control with an access badge."
Collaboration with system manufacturer Hedengren Security went excellently, according to Wuorenjuuri.
"Both I and Certego have long experience working with Hedengren Security. We received support with all the questions that arose, and the quality of the system and equipment, as well as the service, were at a consistently high level," praises Wuorenjuuri.
Finland's Most Popular Alarm System – Why is HHL So Popular?
- The only alarm system for high-security properties manufactured in Finland and designed for Nordic use.
- A continuously evolving system with an exceptionally long lifecycle, based on nearly 40 years of product development.
- The system manufacturer is over 100 years old, the only company in Finland that conducts comprehensive product development and is well-versed in industry standards and customer needs.
- Domestic production ensures fast and ecological deliveries and local product support for customers.
- The system's bus-based design generates significant cost savings compared to traditional implementations.
- A simple system that is easy to design and install.
- A widely networked system suitable for both small properties and demanding special sites.
- Allows for monitoring system solutions with up to 1,024 loops and 32 address lines; the system can have 2–4 HHL-C256 centers connected together with Hedringet.net interface cards.
- An open system that can also be integrated with third-party systems and future building technology.
- The latest generation also enables the utilization of digital services.