To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Eliel Saarinen’s birth, Fabrik organized a unique event for VR Group at Helsinki Central Station. For the first time in the station’s history, the bells in the clock tower rang out to a composition created specifically for this occasion by composer Tuomas Skopa. The event drew a crowd of over a thousand people and received widespread national media coverage, reinforcing the station’s significance as a Finnish landmark.
Starting Point
Sunday, August 20, 2023, marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of architect Eliel Saarinen, who designed the Central Railway Station. We wanted to honor this special occasion in a unique way together with the city’s residents.
But how?
Solution
The Central Railway Station is a landmark familiar to all Finns, and its tower houses Finland’s most-watched clocks. Throughout its entire existence, however, the clock tower has been missing one feature: its bells have never rung. Now, if ever, it was high time to celebrate Saarinen’s birthday by giving the clocks a voice.
The task of creating the soundscape for the Central Railway Station was entrusted to Tuomas Skopa of Artlab Studio, who has been hailed as a melodic genius. As a source of inspiration, he was given the same works by Sibelius and Merikanto that, according to accounts, Saarinen listened to while designing the station.
“This unforgettable event exceeded all our expectations. By doing something thrilling, we managed to create both a historic phenomenon worthy of the station and massive national visibility. Both of these are things that money can’t buy. “
Jani Jääskeläinen, VR Group
Results
The straightforward design and production attracted an audience of millions. The chimes of the main train station’s clocks were featured in national news broadcasts and countless articles—not to mention social media posts and people’s coffee-table conversations. These are signs that tell us we’ve succeeded in our goal of making the news by doing something extraordinary.
The event was covered a week in advance by, among others, Iltalehti, Iltasanomat, Helsingin Sanomat, YLE, and MTV. At the moment of truth, the event was followed not only by a crowd of a thousand people but also by numerous cameras: the ringing of the bells was broadcast live by MTV Uutiset, Yle, IS, IL, and HS, among others. In interviews, the celebratory moment was framed as part of the Central Railway Station’s long-term strategy, and information was shared about the future development of this architectural gem that beats at the heart of the city.
Media mentions of
in online media, websites, and digital editions of newspapers
People on site at
witnessing the event—more than
‘s Media Budget
Would you like to bring your own concept to life?
Are you interested?
Jätä yhteydenottopyyntö tai ota suoraan yhteyttä!
Ville Timonen
Creative Director, Partner
