MODERN EVENTS VENUE FOR SPORTS AND CULTURE WITH POWERFUL HERITAGE MODERNISATION OF THE HELSINKI OLYMPIC STADIUM The Helsinki Olympic Stadium, built in 1938, is an iconic landmark. After 80 years, its core functions – sports and events – have evolved along with the contemporary needs of its facilities. K2S together with Architects NRT have worked on the stadium’s preservation plan with simple forms and expressions. K2S first designed a new wooden canopy for the building in 2005, followed by 20,000 m² of multifunctional spaces for events and activities, including the visitor centre. The preservation plan included restoration efforts and combining the preserved areas with new interventions, additions and premises. The Helsinki Olympic Stadium is a building with significant national value. It is a combination of the pure functionalist architecture of the 1930s and the external appearance of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. For many
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Finns, the stadium, the result of an open architectural competition held in the 1930s won by architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti, symbolises the dawn of a new era for the young nation.
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