Helsinki Olympic Stadium

The Helsinki Olympic Stadium stands at Paavo Nurmen tie in the Toolo district of Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland. Designed by architects Yrjo Lindegren and Toivo Jantti, it was completed in 1938 for the Olympic Games planned for 1940. Those Games were cancelled when the Winter War and then the Second World War began, and the stadium instead hosted the Helsinki Olympics of 1952, the first Games in which the Soviet Union took part, and where Finnish runner Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia won three gold medals. The stadium is a major example of Finnish functionalism, with a white concrete and brick structure, clean lines, and a slender 72 metre tower that remains a symbol of the city. In front stands a statue of the runner Paavo Nurmi, by Wäinö Aaltonen, unveiled in 1952. Over the decades the stadium was used for athletics, football, concerts, and national events, and it hosted the 1983 World Championships in Athletics and the 2005 championships. A large renovation, carried out from 2016 to 2020 with attention to the protected architecture, modernised the stands, facilities, and underground spaces while keeping the original character. The stadium reopened in 2020 and is now open to visitors with exhibitions about its history and the Olympic Games. Visitors can ride up the tower for views over Helsinki, walk the concourse, and see exhibitions at the Sports Museum of Finland located in the same complex. A visit usually takes one to two hours. The stadium is easy to reach from the city centre by tram or on foot through Toolo Bay park.