Tampere, Finland

Tampere Arena is the centre piece for a new unique central area in Finland, located above an existing 140-year-old railway that links Tampere to Helsinki. 

This multipurpose arena and 13,000 capacity entertainment venue will accommodate two ice hockey teams, and play host to music, comedy, family entertainment shows and other sports exhibition events. A 285-bed hotel completely integrated within the arena also accommodates 10,000m2 commercial and flexible spaces. Furthermore, two towers alongside the arena will provide around 1,000 residential homes and office space over 21 floors completing the wider urban development. 

Rauno Kulmala, Project Manager at SRV, who is undertaking the project management contract, commented on the particularly demanding challenges of the project “the coordination of the deck structures and the buildings is made even more challenging because all construction work is undertaken above the track. This requires specialist skilled resources in both design and construction”.

Ramboll is delivering extensive technical design and multidisciplinary expertise in relation to the buildings, the deck and railway works. This includes structural engineering, HVAC, electrical and geotechnical engineering and traffic and fire design. Ramboll is also involved in the development of operational concepts for the cover and arena project. This includes, among other things, the development of commercial activities and the improvement of tenant premises. The objective is to deliver an entertainment destination that serves not only Finland, but also spectators and sporting competitors from across the world.

The first stage of the project is due for completion in Autumn 2021, ahead of the Finnish ice hockey season and the highly anticipated World Ice Hockey Championships in 2022. 

Responsible for the Ramboll design team, Reijo Sandberg said “This is a unique and exceptional project, where the skills of Ramboll as a multidisciplinary consultancy brings great benefits to our client. We can maintain a holistic outlook and focus on our client’s ambitions, while working seamlessly across our teams to tackle the complexities of each stage”.