Architect
Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen
Competition
1960
Design
1968
Completion
1971
Gross area
84520 m²
Themes
Groundbreaking Female Architects Outstanding Sports and Leisure Venues
Category
Assembly buildings
Tags
competition concrete glass sports steel wood

The design for the sports hall was based on the winning entry in a competition held in 1960. The winning entry ‘Sateenkaari ‘ (Rainbow) was designed by Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen. The principal drawings and the building specifications were completed in 1968. Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen were assisted by Juhani Pallasmaa, Pekka Niemeläinen, Timo Laho, Pekka Voltti, Heikki Kaitera and Pekka Laaksonen. Kari Asikainen was in charge of the interior design. The opening ceremony was held on December 4th, 1971.

The roof is composed of three-jointed glued wood arches with a span of 85,2 metres. The distance between them is 4,5 metres and the highest point is 17,6 metres above the floor. The arches were manufactured at the Turku dockyard. Kupittaa Sports Hall was the first building in Finland that had the wooden arches as supporting structure. Corrugated sheet aluminium was used as the roofing material.

The hall floor was kept as free of stationary structures as possible so that the facilities could also be used for exhibitions, fairs and other similar functions. The stand was planned for 1000 people. The sports hall houses even a bowling alley, shooting range and two gyms, which are on the ground floor, below the main sports venue.

Source: Finnish Architectural Review 2/1972

Location

Tahkonkuja 5, Turku
60.446486, 22.2929241

Images

Main elevation, Kupittaa Sports Hall
Main elevation, Kupittaa Sports Hall (© MFA)
Stand, Kupittaa Sports Hall
Stand, Kupittaa Sports Hall (© MFA)
Floor plan of the 1st floor, Kupittaa Sports Hall
Floor plan of the 1st floor, Kupittaa Sports Hall (© MFA)
Longitudinal section drawing, Kupittaa Sports Hall
Longitudinal section drawing, Kupittaa Sports Hall (© MFA)
Cross section drawing, Kupittaa Sports Hall
Cross section drawing, Kupittaa Sports Hall (© MFA)

More projects by author

Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Tampere Worker’s Theatre

  • Tampere
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Museum of Finnish Architecture

  • Helsinki
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Kannelmäki Church

  • Helsinki

Nearby projects

Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

EduCity

  • 300 m
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Turku University Hospital, U Building

  • 800 m
Empty placeholder image
Bookmark

Turku Observatory

  • 800 m