Tammela Stadium Nominated for the Architecture Finlandia Award 2024
The pre-selection jury has nominated five projects for the Architecture Finlandia Award 2024, one of which is Tammela Stadium, designed by JKMM Architects. The winner of the award, granted by the Finnish Association of Architects, will be chosen on October 7th by Antti Kuronen, a well-known foreign correspondent specialising in conflict zones for Yle.
The nominees are:
Hyytiälä Forest Station in Juupajoki, by Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen
Lamminrahka Education Centre in Kangasala, by Verstas Architects
School Building Lastu in Järvenpää, by OOPEAA
Tammela Stadium in Tampere, by JKMM Architects
The renovation of Tapiola Church in Espoo, by AFKS Architects
One of Finland’s highest-profile war correspondents, Antti Kuronen is perhaps best known for his reporting on the Middle East crisis and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“In the course of my work reporting from conflict zones around the world, I’ve often found my mind turning to architecture. Which are the buildings that people care about? In a rural village, say, what is the most prominent building, the school or the place of worship? Do the rural areas and big cities look like they’re from different planets?”
“One of the great things about Finland is that we invest in our public buildings across the length and breadth of the country, not just in the big cities. Equality is still a value that defines Finland and Finnish architecture. No one gets left behind,” Antti Kuronen says.
The Finlandia Prize for Architecture shortlist is chosen by a pre-selection jury appointed each year by SAFA.
“For members of the pre-selection jury, the lengthy and passionate debates and site visits we enjoyed as part of the deliberation process were an opportunity to get back to the very fundamentals of architecture. We discussed natural light and shadow, spatial transitions, material sensitivities and scale. When it came to drawing up the shortlist, we considered what the projects had to say about the present moment and their ability to withstand both time and wear and tear,” said Professor Jenni Reuter, Chair of the Pre-Selection Jury.
Jenni Reuter was joined on the pre-selection jury by architects Harri Hautajärvi and Kirsi Korhonen and Professor Matti Sanaksenaho. The secretariat was provided by Paula Huotelin.
The jury’s nominee description:
Tammela Stadium is a seamless addition to its urban setting. Alongside a football pitch and stands, the Tammela Stadium development, completed in spring 2024, comprises homes as well as commercial units and parking facilities. The stadium’s suspended roof structure above the stands is a visually stunning addition. It also means that there are no pillars to block the spectators’ view of the action. The interiors are thoughtfully designed throughout and open out into several different directions. Tammela’s most valuable contribution, the pre-selection jury found, is its knack for fostering a sense of diversity and urban vitality within the city centre.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
More information:
https://jkmm.fi/work/tammela-stadium/
https://rudanko-kankkunen.com/fi
https://verstasarkkitehdit.fi/
https://oopeaa.com/
https://afks.fi/
https://www.arkkitehtuurinfinlandia.fi/en/finalists