Renewed Experience Visitor Centre offers peek into the future of food

Helsinki / FI. (fg) Fazer Group’s Experience Visitor Centre, which is known as an architectural landmark of Finland’s Vaarala area and a hotspot for international visitors, opened in October 2016. This November, a substantial part of the exhibition was renewed to provide an even more immersive experience. The renewal was designed by Tuuli and Kivi Sotamaa of Ateljé Sotamaa – who were also responsible for the original exhibition – together with Fazer employees. Their vision was realised by dozens of masters of their respective crafts, from audiovisual design to glassblowing and from carpentry to musical composition.

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New attractions including a musical bakery and a hydroponic farm

Fazer turned 130 this year, and the company has both grown and evolved since the original exhibition opened five years ago. In addition to food experiences and strong consumer brands, plant-based innovations and food technology have solidified their place at the core of our strategy. The renewed exhibition presents Fazer today, as well as our direction for tomorrow.

«Climate change, new technologies and fast evolving consumer trends are changing the way food is produced, distributed, consumed and perceived. We wanted the updated exhibition to showcase the food of the future and Fazer’s role in the food transition, without forgetting our heritage or our delicious products. Thus, sustainability and food innovations are prominently featured in the exhibition, as is our robust expertise in oats,» says Joséphine Mickwitz, Head of Communications and Sustainability at Fazer.

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The new attractions cater to all the senses. Visitors can peer at the production of Fazer’s beloved products through factory viewers and explore packaging and products manufactured from side streams, at the same time letting the smell of artisan delicacies and the notes of the Viennese waltz carry them away. They can witness the positive impact of hydroponic farming on the carbon footprint and try their hand at regenerative farming in the form of a game. Videos and visual artworks provide insight into the versatility of oats and the world of plant-based food.

Many old favourites, such as the tropical indoor garden, the Mignon bunny and the candy forest, have been retained to bring joy to future visitors. Other returning attractions include the Brainhow pieces, which provide information on the wellbeing of the brain, and the Food Buddy, which teaches a healthy plate model. Naturally, visitors also get to explore tradition as a counterbalance to innovations and the food of the future, focusing on Fazer’s 130 years of history, the Fazer employees, and classic products.

The visitor centre exhibition will also welcome two new attractions in January 2022: the cocoa forest, which tells the story of the cocoa tree and the daughter of a farming family, and the Globe, which brings Fazer’s sustainability goals to life. The exhibition will keep evolving as the story of Fazer continues, so there will be plenty of new experiences going forward.

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The Group offers experiences for visitors of all ages

The visitor centre consists of an exhibition, a Fazer Café, a shop, meeting services, and various events. The building was designed by the Finnish firm K2S Architects under chief architect Mikko Summanen.

Fazer has been receiving visitors for more than 60 years, and popularity has grown continuously since the new visitor centre opened in the autumn of 2016. A record number of 230,000 visitors were received in 2019. This growth was largely driven by international visitors and hence a drop in their numbers was the primary effect of the pandemic. Over the autumn, Finnish visitors in particular have been returning to the centre. The renewed exhibition is expected to generate even more interest.

Fazer’s own guides introduce visitors to the exhibition on guided tours lasting approximately an hour. They play a key role in the renewed experience, as well.

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«The experience emerges from what the visitor can see, hear, smell and taste, and how they experience it. An expert guide knows how to adapt their telling of Fazer’s story to each group of visitors. We make sure that Fazer Experience offers visitors of all ages a fun time together,» says Anu Kokko, Director of the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre.

Schoolchildren and students make up approximately 45 percent of guided tour participants. Fazer is a classic school trip destination that leaves fond memories for years to come. The visitor centre also attracts companies, associations and individual visitors – whether they come to hold meetings, enjoy recreational activities, or just spend some time together. Interest among tourists is spurred by the excellent visitor feedback. One example of this is the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence, which the visitor centre has been awarded four years in a row. Kokko: «The visitor centre is a place to cherish happy memories and make new ones. Many people tell us upon departure that there was much more to Fazer than they expected» (Photos: Robert Örthén (4) – Mika Huisman (1) – © Fazer Group).

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