Helsinki Garden Event Arena
Garden Helsinki, a sculptural hybrid arena building, is located in an esteemed surrounding right next to the Olympic Stadium buildings from the 1940’s. It will replace the neighbouring old ice hockey arena which is becoming too small to host larger events. In addition to hosting the sizable arena, the new venue will include a hotel and public garden space as well as a variety of apartments, sports facilities, restaurants, services and shops.
The statuesque figure of Garden Helsinki is easily recognisable from the surrounding sports venues. The façade is made of glass and wood; inside, wooden surfaces and structures create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The simple layout solution allows visitors to navigate easily between the different functions. The new building and old ice hockey venue are connected by a shared roof with a central lobby. The new arena, an amphitheatre, is located below the ground level. On ground level, the stadium forms an elliptical open inner garden. All the services, hotel and apartments are circulated around the garden space. The garden is a public space open to all visitors.