Moomins will move to Tampere Hall
30.6.2015
Moominvalley, located on the ground floor of Tampere Art Museum and earlier in the Tampere Main Library Metso, will move to Tampere Hall. Tampere Hall’s renovation and expansion project has began, and the new Moominvalley will open in May 2017. The idea of Tampere Hall as the location of the Moomins was devised by the working group “Tove 100 and the Moomins” designated by the mayor.
The collection includes around 2,000 original illustrations and three-dimensional tableaus donated by Tove Jansson to the City of Tampere in 1986. Some of the artworks form a central framework for Ateneum’s “Tove Jansson 100 years” exhibition in Helsinki. The exhibition will go on world tour in autumn, including countries such as Japan. Tampere Art Museum’s Moominvalley is one of Finland’s most interesting international tourist destinations.
“The concept of Moominvalley can now be expanded massively. The collection can be exhibited more widely, and the books and internationality of the Moomins can be presented in a diverse and modern way. Tampere is a strong city of culture, and culture is a significant part of the city’s attraction and tourist destination. Culture connects generations to each other, provides pleasure and supports the regional economy,” says Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Mayor of the City of Tampere.
Location, flow of customers and the development of Tampere Hall were decisive factors
The working group examined potential urban locations, and nearly a dozen alternatives were found. The organisation of the city agreed that the facilities of Moominvalley should be developed and the Moomins should be emphasised in the city’s cultural provision and urban marketing.
“We stressed the importance of the location, the facitilities’ need for renewal, their compatibility with the philosophy of the Moomins, and customer flows in the area. With the city’s financial situation in mind, we valued a placement in the premises of the City of Tampere. Tampere Hall was also interested in developing the culture and congress centre,” says Olli-Poika Parviainen, Member of the Parliament of Finland and Chairman of the working group.
More than a thousand Moomin square meters in Tampere Hall in 2016
Moominvalley will deploy slightly more than 1,000 square meters, which is approximately three times more space compared to the current temporary facilities of the museum. In connection with the renovation, the lobbies of Tampere Hall will also be rebuilt, and replacement facilities will be constructed for the facilities that will be used as exhibition facilities. Moominvalley will be located mainly in the facilities currently known as the Rondo Hall and the Studio, and a new entrance will be built for Moominvalley. There is also room for future expansions. The Moomin Shop will be located in a large separate room in Tampere Hall’s main entrance lobby, which will be renovated.
The renovation project of Tampere Hall is estimated to cost approximately EUR 12 million, of which Moominvalley accounts for approximately EUR 3 million.
An average of 280,000 people visit Tampere Hall annually. At the same time as the renovation, a private hotel project serving the concert and congress centre will be constructed.
“We have prepared the operational renovation project of the Tampere Hall building together with the owner, the City of Tampere, in order to increase the domestic and international competitiveness of our services. The capacity of the Tampere Hall’s meeting and exhibition facilities will not be reduced due to the construction of the museum. The migration of the Moomins and the renewal will increase the competitiveness of Tampere Hall, enhance further the use and cost efficiency of the property, as well as increase customer flows. We already have excellent services that cover reception services, café and restaurant services, as well as ticket sales, among other things. Also, the internationally renowned Marriot hotel that is planned to be built in connection with Tampere Hall supports excellently tourists visiting Moominvalley,” says Paulina Ahokas, Managing Director of Tampere Hall.
The new facilities are hoped to increase the number of Moominvalley visitors to 100,000 visitors annually.
More information
Paulina Ahokas
Managing Director of Tampere Hall
tel. +358 40 5511 551
paulina.ahokas@tampere-talo.fi
Moominvalley, Tampere Art Museum
Read also "Moominvalley at Tampere Art Museum moves in May 2017" at moomin.com