Tavara-asema is a 1,200-seat concert and event venue in the Tullintori area next to the railway station. Already in its first year of operation, Tavara-asema has found its place and has nicely complemented Tampere's already vibrant and diverse live music scene. New event concepts such as the K-40 Disco, ‘Second-hand’ events promoting local flea market culture and numerous other cultural functions have reinvigorated Tampere's cultural life and created a sense of community around inspiring phenomena.
In its first year of operation, Tavara-asema has hosted more than 100 events, attended by around 70,000 visitors. The programmes have been built with ambition and professionalism. Tavara-asema has hosted many sold-out concerts by top artists, festivals and corporate and private functions. The activity has given new and valuable life to the historic building. Food and adventure experiences are available in the old wooden ‘Puutalo’ building in the courtyard.
-Tampere's rich and varied cultural life is well illustrated by the number of good suggestions we received from residents for the 2023 Cultural Deed of the Year award. The Committee was unanimous in choosing Tavara-asema from among many good candidates. Today, I think almost everyone in the city agrees that the Tavara-asema building was worth preserving. It’s an exemplary piece of Tampere's cultural life and complements the cultural network of Tampere with its high-quality and diverse offerings, says Matti Helimo, Deputy Mayor of Tampere, who presented the award.
Tavara-asema is an art nouveau building that was completed in 1907. The building has served as a reception area for freight consignments and later also as a rehearsal space for the Tampere Opera, among other things. Thanks to a popular movement, the building was saved from the threat of demolition and moved 28 metres to its current location. In 2022, major renovation work transformed it into a modern event venue.
Tero Viikari, Chairman of the Board of Tampereen Kulttuurikamari Oy, is delighted that the City of Tampere is recognising the year-old Tavara-asema, and seeing the positive impact the venue will have on the cultural life of the area.
-It's great that people from Pirkanmaa and culture lovers from all over Finland have immediately adopted the event venue. Historic buildings like Tavara-asema have great potential and a place right at the heart of boldly developing cities. Our excellent staff have skilfully developed the venue, and this award belongs first and foremost to them. We would also like to extend our warmest thanks to the top artists and partners who have helped to bring Tavara-asema into its new heyday, and of course to everyone who has visited our events and brought the building back to life, says Tero Viikari.
Tavara-asema is managed by Tampere Kulttuurikamari Oy. The property is owned by A. Ahlström Kiinteistöt Oy, and Jatke Oy carried out the major renovation of the building. Tavara-asema has been designed to provide a safe space for everyone.
The Cultural Deed Award is granted for special efforts made to develop or enrich the cultural field of Tampere. The Culture and Leisure Committee decided on the winner of the Cultural Deed of the Year award at its meeting in January. The decision was based on proposals from city residents. The award was presented at a function held at the City Hall on 7 February 2024.
