Football, flats and business. Tammelan Stadium in Tampere has won the Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2024 in recognition of its unique use of urban space, as the venue combines the role of a sports arena, residential block and a shopping centre.

Architectural 3-in-1

When we pulled up in front of the stadium, I got out of the car and asked where the stadium was, says Yle Antti Kuronen, a journalist and juror for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2024, a prestigious award given annually by the Finnish Association of Architects, the results of which were announced last October 8.

Located in the heart of the Tammela district in the city of Tampere, Tammelan Stadion is a hybrid stadium. The space of almost 50,000m² contains a field with stands, residential blocks with a parking and a shopping center. Despite this, it does not protrude above the surrounding residential buildings and does not disrupt the urban landscape.

The stadium, which replaced in 2024 a 70-year-old venue with the same name, is at once modest and modern. Despite its small capacity - 8,000 seats - it has earned UEFA Category 4 and is known for the glazed stands, curved suspended roof or heated turf. It can also accommodate 15,000 spectators for concerts.

© Michael Petersen | Thanks to the narrow ends and the two-level stands on the sides, the designers found space for residential buildings. Pictured is the north-east corner of the stadium.

A secret temple in the center of the city

After the stand of the Central Stadium in Rovaniemi (2016) and the modernized Olympic Stadium in Helsinki (2020), Tammelan Stadion is the third sports venue to win this prestigious award. And the competition was strong. Its rivals were a modern school in Kangasala's Lamminrahka district, a newly renovated Lutheran church in Espoo's Tapiola district, Lastu's campus building by the Tuusulanjärvi Lake and a new university research station building in the Hyytiälä forest.

However, the one-man jury in the person of Antti Kuronen appreciated the unique character of the new home of three local teams, Ilves, TPV and Tampere United. This is not a stadium built as a monument to be admired by visitors. On the contrary, it's a secret temple of football that only opens when you come to this street, he explains his choice of the Tampere venue as the winner of the 2024 edition.

© Tuomas Uusheimo / JKMM Architects | With a capacity of 8,000 seats, Tammelan Stadium is the 5th largest venue in Finland.