Kuopio Senior High School of Arts Lumit supports performing arts studies and hobbies

Kuopio Senior High School of Arts Lumit continues the long tradition of specialised senior high schools in Kuopio. The architect’s vision was adhered to in all choices, and facilities supporting high-school students and other artists in the performing arts were made available in central Kuopio.

Finland’s oldest special upper secondary school was located on the site of Kuopio Senior High School of Arts Lumit from 1968 to August 2022, when Lumit was completed. The new art school was in the planning phase for more than half a decade, and as a result, modern and diverse facilities were made available in central Kuopio for nearly 600 high school students in music, dance and performing arts.

“We wanted to build a building to fill an entire block in a central location and work as part of the heart of Kuopio entity created around Kuopion musiikkikeskus,” says developer Hilkka Laakso from Facility Management. Lumit stands in a prime location in Kuopionlahti. “The area will be a multi-purpose venue for education, culture and urban events.”

In addition to senior high school students, Lumit will also be offering adaptable facilities for other performing art enthusiasts and artists, and all residents of Kuopio will have access to an impressive cafeteria, café and conference facilities, among other things. “Cooperation with Musiikkikeskus will also be close.”

We wanted there to be a skilled expert on humidity control to monitor and guide everyone else on site at all times. Hilkka Laakso, City of Kuopio Facility Management

Challenging studio and theatre facilities

Each structural solution in Lumit had to support the versatile use of the facilities. “From the very beginning, exceptionally high aesthetic and functional requirements were set for the facilities, and there was no need to really compromise on the architect’s vision,” says Senior Structural Engineer Eemeli Tikkanen from Sweco. The architecture made the structural engineering demanding as a whole, and special solutions needed to be implemented right from the construction stage. “The building sits on piles, and the bottom level is partially underground.”

High and expansive spaces were created with pillar beam columns, which were stiffened with concrete walls. After selecting the contractor, some of the structural elements that were designed to be cast on site were replaced with element structures, which required a lot of modification planning. “We received very good feedback on the element design from the main contractor NCC,” Laakso notes with satisfaction.

After the basic premises of the senior high school were implemented cost-effectively, the budget still had room for specific operational requirements and architectural details. For example, a light column stretches all the way from the first floor to the roof. The gym is also an impressive space, and there is a massive staircase complete with a stage in the middle of the school. “When the high adjustable partitions of the staircase are fully open, the viewer will be able to see through the whole school,” Tikkanen says.

The Black Box theatre is the most special space of the building on the national level; the only other similar space in Finland can be found at the University of the Arts Helsinki. “Originally, the theatre was to be constructed as a separate building, but in the end it was designed as a mobile section with a height of approximately 11 metres,” Tikkanen says.

According to Hilkkka Laakso, band and performing facilities and recording studios are especially demanding spaces, some of which were implemented by using the “room within a room” method. “The facilities of the music line were subject to very high acoustics and presentation mechanics requirements, and the user feedback has been good. The spaces have good acoustics and there have been no noise leaks.”

Moisture management made fool proof

The large building with special solutions was challenging from the point of view of moisture management. However, it was a top concern for the City. “We wanted there to be a skilled expert to monitor and guide everyone else on site at all times,” Laakso stresses.

Anssi Kinnunen, the humidity and cleanliness control coordinator from Sweco, was able to ensure many extraordinary structural solutions at Lumit. For example, joints between architectural glass walls, sheet metal cladding and brick masonry were challenging in terms of moisture performance. “In fact, quality indoor air is a sum of small details at the design and construction stage.”

The weatherproofing of a building the size of an entire block was built on support piers, which requires precision in the phasing of weather protection and construction work. Structural engineers carried out flow calculations at the site to ensure the abnormal ventilation of the roof and attic. “In addition, remote reading sensors were installed in the floor structures to monitor the drying of the structures,” Kinnunen says. The purity class of construction is also the highest possible, P1.

Monitoring was based on solid experience

According to Hilkka Laakso, overall management was supported by the fact that Sweco was also responsible for supervising construction, HVAC and electrical work. “Information flow was effortless when supervisors could easily go through matters together, share views and support each other,” Laakso notes. Sweco’s team of supervisors was exceptionally experienced, as required by the site’s special characteristics, and the supervisors’ combined work experience came up to 130 years.

Laakso is also very pleased with the professional skills of the planning team on a site whose diverse special requirements required special expertise. The plans were completed in time, and any questions were always answered promptly. “Eemeli Tikkanen was also very proactive in planning and reviewed things in advance, which also helped guide others.”

According to the Sweco team, the entire project team had very good team spirit and was enthusiastic about their work, even though the timetable was tightened somewhat towards the end. “Together, we were able to complete the project according to schedule in the spirit of good cooperation, and we would like to thank Hilkka for this achievement!”