Helsinki, Finland

An icon of Finland’s functionalist architecture during the early years of the country’s search for a nationalist identity and expression, the 1930s landmark which had fallen into disrepair has now been wonderfully restored back to his original opulence by Finnish Architects K2S and NRT Oy together with Swedish architects White Architects and Dutch Architects Wesssel de Jonge.

Designed in functionalistic style by the architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti. construction of the Olympic Stadium began in 1934 and it was completed in 1938, with the intent to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were moved from Tokyo to Helsinki before being canceled due to World War II.

In 1952, a decade later, the stadium was finally used as a venue for the Summer Olympics.

“This stadium,” according to Finnish architecture critic, Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, “has important national relevance much like the works of Eero Saarinen, Pauli Blomstedt, Aarne Ervi, Viljo Revell, and Alvar Aalto.”

“Only 20 years earlier, Finland had become an independent nation, and the country rapidly strove to reinvent itself with a unique modern identity—carve out its own present and future in the modern era and to shape its profile as an emerging and progressive European country.”

“And the pure, abstract functionalist architecture of the 1930s well served that end.”

Over the years, the stadium has undergone several modernizations, the last being in 1990-1994 and again before the 2005 World Championships in Athletics.

The appearance of the refurbished Stadium is refreshed. The external architecture of the year 2020 combines the restored 1930s concrete architecture, the renovated parts of the 1950s as well as the new North stadium square with its food & beverage kiosks in concrete. The durable and functional architecture of the novel parts offers life-enriching experiences. The whole constituted by the various elements is a familiar and recognizable monument in human dimensions.

The visitor is met by an easily accessible and clear whole. Together with the external areas, the freely flowing audience galleries under the stand structures conform to the fine lines and solutions of the original Stadium. The plastered facades and their visible concrete structures and the brickwork in the curves are restored to their original look. The new entrances to the stands, with the concrete stairs poured in place, have been adapted to meet the rhythm of the concrete structure curves and brickwork facades. The renewed and higher wood cover of the facades conceals the new rain shelter structures in the curves. The details in the façade steel parts have been restored and the steel metal flashing is made according to the original drawings. The original frames and sashes of the steel and wooden windows have been restored while the glass sheets are new and more energy efficient.

The light, structures and materials, combined with usability and sensory experience constitute the premise of architecture. The facilities in the 1930s part of the Stadium now serve as multipurpose space for various events. The third-floor spaces in section A now have a new connection to the stands. The materials and shades of color used in the original have now been restored. The spaces at ground level are limited through internal glass walls which leave the original concrete structures and façade windows visible, also during large-scale events.

The multipurpose underground sport facilities, with the new limiting western gallery, the tunnel following the tracks above, the northern logistics area and the multi-purpose hall in the northeast curve constitute a completely new part of the Olympic Stadium. The materials are timeless and durable; white concrete, wood and glass. The light apertures in the silent space introduce natural light into the rooms and open views to the Stadium above. The concrete structures bring a rhythm to space while the light wood cover is reminiscent of the white formwork concrete surfaces of the 1930s.

Architects: K2S and NRT Oy
Associate Architects: White Architects and the Dutch Wessel de Jonge
Original Architects: Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti (1938)
Client: Stadium Foundation
Photographers: Wellu Hämäläinen and Tuomas Uusheimo