Property Department

The Facilities Department is responsible for the theatre building, its outdoor areas and everything related to them, including building systems, construction, electrical systems, ventilation and lighting. The Facilities Department employs a facilities manager, facilities supervisor, technical coordinator, IT specialist and stage manager.

Over three decades of facilities maintenance 

Facilities Manager Janne Hakala and Facilities Supervisor Eemil Hallikas are responsible for an enormous range of tasks. The Facilities Department looks after the maintenance of the building and its equipment, ventilation, electrical and domestic water systems, and cleaning. The work requires close cooperation with more than 30 external partners to ensure that this extensive range of facilities services runs smoothly. Each morning, the pair check the control room for alarms and fault notifications received overnight. Their daily routine also includes inspecting the grounds to make sure that the building has not been vandalised during the night.  

They can clock up as many as 20,000 steps a day, as the building covers an impressive 28,000 square metres

They can clock up as many as 20,000 steps a day, as the building covers an impressive 28,000 square metres and includes many different kinds of spaces, from stages and rehearsal rooms to offices, dressing rooms, the wig and make-up department, and the scenery workshop. New maintenance tasks and problems arise constantly.  

“It could be anything from a loose toilet roll holder to the fire brigade arriving on site. We’ve crawled around cleaning floors with surgical spirit and cleared snow,” says Hakala. 

Hakala knows the building inside out. He has worked here since 1997. These days, he automatically spots anything requiring maintenance as he makes his rounds. 

“I’ve walked these corridors for so many decades that my eyes are constantly scanning my surroundings. My ears are so finely tuned to the doors that I can tell from more than ten metres away whether one has locked properly,” Hakala says.  

The theatre’s special requirements present their own challenges for facilities maintenance. Ventilation, for example, must work flawlessly on the stages and in the rehearsal rooms, as humidity has a direct impact on the performers’ ability to work.  

“If a space is too dry, the voice won’t carry. That is why we humidify the air using tap water purified by reverse osmosis, ensuring that no impurities remain in the machinery, ducts or air,” Hakala explains. The pair monitor the system’s automation, and it requires plenty of water, particularly during severe frosts. 

In addition to ventilation, the Facilities Department is responsible for many other tasks essential to performances, including cleaning the stages and ensuring accessibility. “We make sure the lifts and automatic doors are working. We also arrange maintenance for the fire doors. The fire curtain on the Main Stage, for example, weighs 18,000 kg,” Hakala says. 

Sustainability leads the way

In recent years, facilities maintenance has become increasingly sustainable. The lighting has been modernised by switching to energy-efficient LED lights. This has also eased the Facilities Department’s workload, as the bulbs no longer need to be replaced constantly.  

Solar panels have been installed on the theatre roof, and the energy they generate will help offset the theatre’s electricity consumption in the future. Plans are also under way to introduce a purified-water cleaning system, allowing some cleaning to be carried out without harsh chemicals. 

Although the work is not always visible to outsiders, it contributes to the comfort and safety of every employee and audience member. The Facilities Department ensures that conditions remain comfortable throughout the building, whether in the heat of summer or the depths of winter. When the work has been done well and everything is running smoothly, no one needs to call the Facilities Department.

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