Helsinki Olympic Stadium

File:Olympic stadium of Helsinki in 1930's.jpg

The Olympic Stadium was designed by the architects Yrjö Lindegren and Toivo Jäntti. The Olympic stadium, known as an icon of functionalist style of architecture, was featured in the Architectural Digest as one of the best examples of Olympic architecture.Minutillo, J.: [https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/the-best-olympic-architecture/ The best Olympic architecture]. Architectural Digest, 16 August 2016. Yrjö Lindgren later became himself an Olympic medallist when he received the gold medal for architecture at the 1948 Olympics in London.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/920258 |title=Yrjö Lindegren |work=Olympedia |access-date=11 August 2020}}

Construction of the Olympic Stadium began in 1934 and it was completed in 1938, with the intent to host the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were moved from Tokyo to Helsinki before being cancelled due to World War II. It hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics over a decade later instead. The stadium was also to be the main venue for the cancelled 1943 Workers' Summer Olympiad.

It was the venue for the first ever Bandy World Championship in 1957.

The stadium was completely modernized in 1990–1994 and also renovated just before the 2005 World Championships in Athletics.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

In 2006, an American TV series, The Amazing Race 10, had one of its episodes ending at The Olympic Stadium Tower. As a task, teams had to do a face-first rappel (known as the Angel Dive) down the Helsinki Olympic Tower.

Since March 2007, a Eurasian eagle-owl has been spotted living in and around the stadium. On June 6, 2007, during a Euro 2008 qualifying match, the owl delayed play by ten minutes after perching on a goalpost. Due to strict conservation laws, no physical attempt to persuade the bird to leave were allowed. The owl was later christened Bubi and was named as Helsinki's Resident of the Year.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/helsinki-names-football-owl-resident-of-the-year-idUSL21316750/ |title=Helsinki names football owl "resident of the year" |date=December 21, 2007 |website=Reuters |accessdate=September 6, 2024}} The Belgians quite unexpectedly lost the match to Finland by 2-0. Afterwards they claimed it was due to the owl who "disturbed their rhythm of playing". This promoted Bubi owl to something like a Finnish national football hero and from that time on the Finnish men's football Team has been called "Huuhkajat" (The Eagle-Owls) .

File:Constructing the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.ogv

The 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympic Games hosted in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium was the main motif for one of the first Finnish euro silver commemorative coins, the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympic Games commemorative coin, minted in 2002. On the reverse, a view of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium can be seen. On the right, the 500 markka commemorative coin minted in 1952 celebrating the occasion is depicted.

There were plans to host the 2021 Superpesis finals at the Olympic Stadium, but opposition from the clubs about preferring best-of-5 finals instead of a single match, worries about the playing surface (Playing on natural grass and running track surface, in a sport that prefer artificial grass and sand), and scheduling conflicts,{{Cite web|url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/pesapallo/a/d137a797-1a6f-4071-b85d-8f617b1db73d|title=Pesisfinaalia puuhataan Olympiastadionille, nurmelle kipattaisiin hiekkaa – idealle täystyrmäys|date=12 May 2021|access-date=24 December 2023|language=fi|publisher=Iltalehti}} led the plan to be called off.

File:Helsinki Olympic Stadium Tower.jpg

File:Helsingin olympialaiset 1952 - XLVIII-274 - hkm.HKMS000005-km0000mrdi.jpg]]

The stadium's spectator capacity was at its maximum during the 1952 Summer Olympics with over 70,000 spectator places. Nowadays the stadium has 36,251 spectator places. During concerts, depending on the size of the stage, the capacity is 45,000–50,000.

The tower of the stadium, a distinct landmark with a height of {{convert|72.71|m}}, a measurement of the length of the gold-medal win by Matti Järvinen in javelin throw of 1932 Summer Olympics.

File:Olympiastadion 2020-04-19.jpg

File:Helsinki olympic stadium Gymnasium 1.jpg

File:Helsinki olympic stadium Tunnel.jpg

File:Helsinki Stadion ravintola.jpg

Major renovation work at the stadium started in the spring of 2016. During renovation all the spectator stands were covered with canopies and the field area and the tracks were renewed. The stadium now also offers extended restaurant areas and more indoor sport venues.[http://www.stadion.fi/sites/default/files/tiedostot/press_release_-_the_olympic_stadium_towards_a_new_era.pdf Modernisation and renewal of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224052641/http://www.stadion.fi/sites/default/files/tiedostot/press_release_-_the_olympic_stadium_towards_a_new_era.pdf |date=24 December 2014 }} Retrieved on 20 December 2014 The renovation was completed and the stadium was open to the public in September 2020.

The projected cost of the renovation was expected to consume €197 million in 2016, €261 million in 2019 and ended up at a price of €337 million, which is €140 million (or 70 percent) more than the original projected cost. The Finnish state and the City of Helsinki are the funders of the renovation.[http://stadiumdb.com/news/2021/01/helsinki_olympiastadion_is_great_but_the_price_isnt StadiumDB.com: Helsinki: Olympiastadion is great but the price isn’t, 23.01.2021]

File:0,30 mark track and field European Championship stamp of Helsinki 1971.jpg

• 1952 Summer Olympics
• 1957 Bandy World Championship
• 1971 European Athletics Championships
• 1983 World Championships in Athletics
• 1994 European Athletics Championships
• 2005 World Championships in Athletics
• UEFA Women's Euro 2009 (4 Group matches and a Final)
• 2012 European Athletics Championships
• 2022 UEFA Super Cup{{cite web |title=UEFA |url=https://twitter.com/UEFA/status/1234471707416629248 |website=Twitter |access-date=27 March 2020 |quote=🗓 BREAKING: The 2022 UEFA #SuperCup final will be held in Helsinki, Finland, at the Olympic Stadium.⁣}}

• List of association football stadiums by capacity
• Lists of stadiums

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons-inline|Helsingin olympiastadion}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080411091045/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1952/OR1952.pdf 1952 Summer Olympics official report.] pp. 44–7.
• [https://www.stadion.fi/ Stadion.fi – Official site]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180919191348/http://www.ilmiantajat.net/olympia/index.php?lang=en&areaid=historia History of the stadium]}}
• [http://www.360travelguide.com/360VirtualTour.asp?iCode=hel15 Panoramic virtual tour from the stadium tower] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730134012/http://www.360travelguide.com/360VirtualTour.asp?iCode=hel15 |date=30 July 2021 }}

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{{Succession box

| title=Summer Olympics
Main venue (Olympic Stadium)

| before=Empire Stadium
London

| after=Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne

| years=1952

}}

{{succession box

| before = Empire Stadium
London

| | title = Summer Olympics
Athletic competitions
Main venue

| years = 1952

| after = Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne

|}}

{{Succession box

| before =Empire Stadium
London

| title = Summer Olympics
Men's football
Final venue

| years = 1952

| after = Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne

}}

{{Succession box

| title=UEFA Women's Euro
Final venue

| before=Ewood Park
Blackburn

| after=Friends Arena
Solna

| years=2009

}}

{{Succession box

| title = UEFA Super Cup
Match venue

| before = Windsor Park
Belfast

| after = Karaiskakis Stadium
Piraeus

| years = 2022

}}

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{{Finland national football team}}

{{UEFA Super Cup venues}}

{{Summer Olympic stadia}}

{{IAAF World Athletic Championships stadiums}}

{{1952 Summer Olympic venues}}

{{Olympic venues athletics}}

{{Olympic venues equestrian}}

{{Olympic venues football}}

{{Helsinki Cityscape}}

{{European Athletics Championships stadiums}}

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Category:Olympic stadiums

Category:Olympic athletics venues

Category:Olympic equestrian venues

Category:Football venues in Finland

Category:Athletics (track and field) venues in Finland

Category:Bandy venues in Finland

Category:Sports venues in Helsinki

Category:Tourist attractions in Helsinki

Category:Towers in Finland

Category:Finland national football team

Finland

Category:Venues of the 1952 Summer Olympics

Category:Functionalist architecture

Category:Modernist architecture in Finland

Category:Yrjö Lindegren buildings

Category:American football venues in Finland

Category:1938 establishments in Finland

Category:Sports venues completed in 1938

Category:Töölö