First inaugurated in 1938, the Helsinki Olympic Stadium reopened last month after an extensive modernisation and rebuild. While the four-year renovation project was carried out with great respect towards the Stadium’s original modernist architecture, new functionalities have been added and comfort and safety have been increased to match the demands of the future.

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In the early noughties, the future looked uncertain for the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The arena was in poor condition and no longer met the standards for an events venue. Although the cost estimate showed a figure that would buy you a new arena, the “Nordic capital of cool” decided to appreciate the old and invest in rebuilding and refurbishing the Olympic Stadium. Now, the Stadium is a place where the past and the future meet, and old and new elements blend seamlessly.

A national monument and symbol of independence from the 1930s

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium is not only a landmark central to the Helsinki cityscape but also a building of significant national relevance. For many Finns, the combination of pure functionalist architecture of the 1930s and the external appearance of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics symbolises the dawn of a new era for the young nation. Having declared independence only twenty years prior to the inauguration of the Stadium on 12 June 1938, Finland was already preparing to host the Olympics in 1940. The breakout of the Second World War postponed the Olympics, which were ultimately held in summer 1952.

Perhaps the most beautiful Olympic Stadium in the world, the arena is a result of an architectural competition held in the 1930s, won by the Finnish architects Yrjö Lindegren (1900–1952) and Toivo Jäntti (1900–1975) who submitted a proposal in pure functionalist style. The original architecture aimed at practicality, functionality, and rationality.

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Finnish modernism meets new standards

While the Stadium has been renovated with great respect towards the original architecture, it has also undergone great changes to meet the 21st century standards for a multipurpose arena. The Stadium is now more comfortable, more accessible, and more functional while remaining instantly recognisable. The entire Stadium premises as well as the stands, pitch and tracks have been modernised. Moreover, another stadium has been built underground: 20,000 square metres of new underground space doubles the amount of warm indoor space at the Stadium. Smart and versatile sports facilities, a tunnel following the tracks above, a logistics area and a multipurpose hall constitute a completely new part of the Olympic Stadium.

The Stadium’s external architecture of 2020 combines the restored 1930s concrete architecture and the renovated parts of the 1950s with a new North stadium square, where food and beverage kiosks in concrete serve audiences. The various elements make up a familiar and recognisable monument in human dimensions. The materials in old and new parts of the whole are timeless and durable: white concrete, brick, wood, and glass.

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Even for taller eventgoers

The renewed wood cover of the façades, made of Finnish spruce and pine timber, conceals new rain shelter structures above the stands. The use of wood harks back to the 1950s, when wood was used to extend the concrete-structured Stadium to reach its current appearance. Wood provides the audience stands with a tactile material and texture with minute scale. To ensure audience safety, the cover of the rain shelter is in fireproofed wood. The composition of the 36,300 new wood composite seats, made nearby in Salo, Southern Finland, is also fire-resistant. The new seats are more comfortable even for taller eventgoers. In concerts, the Stadium can host up to 50,000 guests.

The plastered façades, their visible concrete structures and the brickwork in the curves have been 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 façades. Thanks to new emergency exits, the Stadium can now be emptied in just 8 minutes.

The details in the façade steel parts have been restored and the steel metal flashing has been 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 Olympic Stadium was built for action, and it has a wide range of different user groups.”

The architectural design is by the consortium K2S and NRT in cooperation with Swedish architecture collective White Arkitekten and Wessel de Jonge from the Netherlands. “The Olympic Stadium was built for action, and it has a wide range of different user groups. The Stadium offers a frame for all this action. As architects, we had to listen to representatives of all the different user groups, learn about their needs, and fit them together in a way that allows the Stadium to serve all users with as little changes as possible – all the while maintaining an architecturally harmonious, experiential stadium”, explains architect Kimmo Lintula from architecture office K2S.

A venue for world-class events

The facilities in the 1930s part of the Stadium now serve as multipurpose space for various events, and the functional clarity of interior spaces has been restored. Many improvements have been made to maximise audience comfort and accessibility: For example, the number of restrooms has been grown from 248 to 600, and the number of sales stands is now manifold. Left outside the scope of the renovation, the Stadium tower offers fantastic views over the city from 72 metres above ground.

The Olympic Stadium will celebrate its opening weeks in September 2020.

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Text credit: Marketing and Communication Olympic Stadium Helsinki

In early October Buenos Aires was the host city of the third Summer Youth Olympic Games. Promoted by the International Olympic Committee, about 4.000 athletes from 206 countries participated in the games.

The city offered a number of different sites for a total of 32 disciplines. Most of the competitions and activities took place in the Olympic Park. Located within the newly planned Sports District, part of a large-scale urban and social conversion program in the south of the city, the 30-hectare site became a prominent location for the games.

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The project for the Olympic Park was based on the renovation of a traditional park designed and built in the 1980s. Two decades later it showed clear signs of neglect. Advantageously located right in front of the Olympic Village, which was already under construction, the park became the perfect spot for the Game’s purposes. The existing general infrastructure – such as underground ducts and pipes for lighting and water supply – plus an existing landscape and a very well-defined system of pathways benefitted the project and offered cost reduction advantages.

Relay to the history of the park

The architectural and landscape layout for the Venue Master Plan was the result and combination of the existing land conditions and the technical requirements set by the different leading institutions involved. Beginning in January 2017, the construction work lasted no longer than ten months.
The main access to the Olympic Park is connected to one of the largest existing clusters of trees on-site, creating a welcoming image related to the history of the park. Upon entering the site, the Olympic pavilions are clearly visible. The overall plan comprises a large, external vehicular ring which encloses an entirely car-free inner area with a pedestrian pathway connecting six semi-white boxes featuring lightweight structures. Visitors can walk from one pavilion to the next while passing by open fields and tracks. Service areas are located underground or at ground level, depending on the venue’s structure.The six individual buildings and the connecting, partially enclosed walkway are lightweight structures with metallic finish. The connecting pergola’s overall width is three meters. The dynamic walkway is open along both sides, allowing pedestrians to appreciate the adjacent landscape and the sights of the different buildings and fields.

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Open presence

In order to adapt to the existing topography and slopes of the original park, the two largest pavilions were positioned at the site’s lowest points, opposite to each other. The slope supported establishing the required height for the Olympic Swimming Pool, built underground, and the necessary ceiling height for the artistic gymnastics. Both buildings offer glazed curtain walls that enclose the entire facade along the ground level, creating an open and inviting presence, visually connected to the park outside.
The other four buildings located adjacent to the walkway are smaller in size and offer a more flexible layout.

By playing host to one of the world’s biggest sporting events, Buenos Aires has the opportunity to establish a lasting sports legacy. Once the games are over, the venues will be converted into a multi-sport facility for elite athletes. They will also feature administration offices, a health center and a hotel. The sports arenas will remain open for major sporting events and public use.

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Location: City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Project’s Design and Management: City Government of Buenos Aires / Ministry of Urban Design and Transportation (Minister Franco Moccia)
Subsecretary of Projects: A. García Resta / Urban Innovation, Director: M.Torrado
Subsecretary of Construction: M. Palacio / Site Construction’s Director: C. Cané
Total area: 30 hectares
Date of completion: September 2018 (First Stage)
Photography: Javier A. Rojas

In 2013 the International Olympic Committee selected Buenos Aires to be the host of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games. One year later, the City Government started the planning and management process for the construction of an Olympic Village, with a team especially created for this purpose.

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In compliance with the essential philosophy of all Olympic Games – “to identify post-Games legacy uses […] and benefits for years to come to the city and its people” – the Buenos Aires City Government carried out an holistic research and implementation plan that was rooted within local urban and social necessities. With some of the lowest indicators of human development and quality of life, the south of the city was already an object of interest and in the midst of a transformation process.

The City Government’s project for the conversion of the Athletes’ Village into affordable housing (1,200 new homes) was planned in cooperation with the Institute of Housing of the City. The institute’s focus in determining selection criteria for post-occupancy habitation was aimed at ensuring that required loans would be granted as follows: 80% for the district’s residents, 10% for teachers and a final 10% for police officers. Owners will begin occupying their homes in March 2019.

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Brand-new infrastructure

Out of the total 100 hectares covered by the former park, 49 hectares were reserved for a new system of green areas. Approximately 20 hectares were selected for urban development and housing. The Olympic Village covers 3.5 hectares, combining 31 buildings and open spaces such as boulevards, streets and plazas. The overall project is much larger, incorporating brand-new infrastructure (water supply, sewage, electrical grid, fiber optic and road systems) for a total area of 9.7 hectares. In order to ensure a consistent planning and construction process, in 2016 the City passed a special law for the Olympic Village Master Plan, regulating new urban and social requirements and defining the district’s long-term development goals. Based on the new land use plan, the area incorporates more and new green spaces and ground-floor retail.

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Rainwater harvesting

The buildings (seven and nine-stories tall) were the result of five separate national competitions. Their objective was to achieve differing architectural designs for the five different blocks.
The landscape plan’s main goal was to create as many absorptive surfaces as possible to capture and store rainwater and reduce irrigation needs and peak runoff during rain events. The project incorporated all kinds of impervious surfaces and green infrastructure for rainwater harvesting; the most relevant being the drainage planters built along the full length of the building facades, as well as the large central gardens with their slightly recessed ground level compared to the enclosing streets. The planters and the central gardens collect and direct the stormwater runoff into the city’s drainage system. Most of the large trees, specimens of native species that previously existed on site, were preserved.

The construction works lasted for exactly 26 months. During the first week of October 2018, when crowds of young athletes from all parts of the world arrived, the site had a fresh and complete appearance. In the future, locals will enjoy and benefit from this amenity.
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Location: City of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Idea and project design: City Government of Buenos Aires / Ministry of Urban Design and Transportation (MUDyT): Minister Franco Moccia
Project planning, management and implementation: Director of Special Projects’ Unit: Maria Florencia Piñero Villar
Landscape plan director: Estela Viarenghi / Design Team: Subsecretary of projects (MUDyT)
Building design: Winning teams of the five Competitions
Total area: 3.5 hectares (Village) / 9.7 hectares (new urban infrastructure systems)
Date of completion: August 2018 (First Stage: Olympic Village)