Töölö Sports Hall is a legendary sanctum for exercisers and athletes that already serves indoor sports enthusiasts on a broad scale. In the renovation, the user safety and usability of the Sports Hall will be improved while also keeping the architectural, cultural and historical values of the building in mind. The current estimate is that the renovation will be completed in 2031.
The project is currently in a needs assessment phase, in which residents are invited to comment and develop the service concepts/ideas and customer paths created, i.e. what kinds of services the hall could feature in the future and how they would work from the user’s perspective. Residents can take part by taking an online survey or attending a Tulevaisuuden Kisahalli (‘Sports Hall of the Future’) workshop held in the lobby of the Sports Hall (Paavo Nurmen kuja 1 C) on 23 and 24 April 2025 at 12–17.
You can stop by at the workshop to examine the planned development proposals and comment on them.
Take the online survey(Link leads to external service)
All survey respondents will be entered into a prize draw for five 10-visit serial tickets to the Sports Hall.
The Sports Hall is a home base for a broad range of sports
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. In addition to sports clubs, guided sports participants and free-form exercisers, these user groups include schools, daycare centres and other communities.
The sports and activities available at Töölö Sports Hall now and in the future include group exercise, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, para-table tennis, dance, powerlifting, weight lifting, cheerleading, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics and fencing as guided sports, as well as pentathlon, wrestling, boxing, various martial arts, crossfit, e-sports and diverse gym training, among others. The aim is to provide new settings for children’s sports, exercise applications utilising digital technology, and low-threshold exercise in general.
The objective is to both reduce the energy consumption of the hall by roughly 15–20% and increase the usage rate of the hall by 80,000–100,000 exercise sessions per year. Additionally, the number of spaces facilitating independent use will be increased, particularly with regard to children under school age. In hall A, the focus will remain on free-form exercise, while in hall B, the aim is to also support diverse event use.
The Sports Hall is a piece of cultural and sports history
Töölö Sports Hall, colloquially known as “Kisis” and previously known as Messuhalli, was completed in 1935 as a multi-purpose hall for exhibitions, concerts, celebrations and sports events. An architectural competition was held for the design of the hall in 1933, based on which architects Aarne Hytönen and Risto-Veikko Luukkonen were tasked with creating the final designs.
The hall was completed in two parts: hall A in 1935 and its sequel, hall B, in 1950–1951. For private athletes and exercisers Töölö Sports Hall was opened permanently in 1975.
Töölö Sports Hall is part of the Olympic building complex, and the cultural and historical values of the building will be taken into consideration in the planning and implementation of the renovation. The appearance of the building as part of the cityscape will be preserved as it is, and the indoor facilities will be developed in the spirit of the original designs. In particular, the main space and staircases of hall A have been preserved well in their original style, which will be taken into account in the further design processes.
Schedule of the renovation of Töölö Sports Hall
- Needs description by the Culture and Leisure Division in February 2025
- Service design and co-development in January–August 2025
- Needs assessment in October 2025
- Statement on the project plan for the Culture and Leisure Committee in June–September 2026
- General and implementation planning in September 2026–November 2027
- Construction in May 2028–2031
