The modernisation of the Sports Hall will involve updating the building services of the 75-year-old building and renovating the facilities to meet today's sports and exercise needs. One of the goals is to significantly reduce the building’s energy consumption.
At the same time, the accessibility of the premises will also be improved. Other goals include developing the use of the facilities for a wide range of recreational activities and further improving opportunities for children and young people to engage in physical activity.
On 21 October 2025, the Helsinki Culture and Leisure Committee approved the project's needs assessment, which evaluated the necessity of the project and defined its preliminary objectives. Next, the project will move on to the project plan phase, where the facility plan will be refined.
Schedule:
Needs decision in October 2025
Project planning in 2026–2027
Construction in June 2028–2031
1,400 people contributing ideas for the future Töölö Sports Hall
The City of Helsinki consulted a large number of residents, users, various stakeholders and staff representatives to support the needs assessment. Among other things, the City has organised surveys and workshops where residents and users have been able to give feedback and contribute ideas for the future of Töölö Sports Hall. A total of approximately 1,400 people have contributed.
Various user groups have expressed wishes for improvements in areas such as accessibility and the versatility of the facilities. The consultation process with customers and users confirmed what should be retained and what needs to be improved, as well as the services that should be included and developed in the future Töölö Sports Hall.
“People want to preserve the iconic architecture of the Sports Hall, the good patina and character brought about by history, the sense of community and the unique atmosphere that combines sportsmanship and the Olympic spirit with inspiration. Accessibility is an area where we need to improve, in terms of both construction and operating models. We want to maintain an affordable, low-threshold service where people can easily and flexibly try out different sports,” says Sports Director Tarja Loikkanen from the City of Helsinki.
Töölö Sports Hall is a hub for a wide range of sports, serving sports clubs, schools, independent exercisers, guided sports customers and a variety of events, among others. As with before, Töölö Sports Hall will continue to meet several different user groups’ needs with regard to the special conditions required by exercise and sports in a diverse manner.
Explore the topic:
Link to the needs assessment (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service)
