in finland, daniel libeskind's first arena is wrapped in graphic screening

an urban scale expansion of tampere, finland

studio libeskind, along with SRV rakennus oy, and local partner ARCO architecture company / aihio arkkitehdit, open the LEED gold nokia arena in tampere, finland.

the nokia arena is sited atop of tampere’s railway tracks in the heart of the city. the mixed-use program includes a multi-purpose ice hockey arena, a 273-room hotel, and five mixed use blocks topped by five residential towers. the urban scale development creates a new live-work-play complex and creates a connection between the historic city and the 20th century extension.

images © hufton + crow | @huftonandcrow

the nokia arena, connecting the historic city

studio libeskind (see more here) locates its nokia area in a dynamic urban nexus of the thriving city of tampere. the railways reconnect on all axes, with the new multipurpose arena, and where the historic fabric meet. once the development is complete it will stitch the urban fabric back together again, connection east to west, creating a new vibrant hub of high quality living, working, leisure and culture for the city of tampere and finland.

the arena, which occupies one fifth of the complex, has the capacity to accommodate 17,000 fans. with its casino, bars, and restaurant at deck level, the arena redefines its pivotal function as a hub for diverse urban activities. there is a total of approximately 82,000 square meters of mixed-use program area; including 64,500 square meters of arena space, 5,800 square meters for practice hall and 11,600 square meter hotel with three roof-top saunas.

studio libeskind’s metal facade

studio libeskind wraps the curved nokia arena in a facade of banded metal screening. the design team employs a varied palette of cladding to break up the massing of the large arena that is tucked into the urban-scaled development. the bold volume is unified by a subtle palette of cladding materials including black metal panels and black washed concrete panels. a screen of anodized aluminum vertical slats in three neutral shades wraps the façade of the arena.

the highly sustainable design has reached LEED gold rating. features include the high density location that is well connected to public transportation and highly walkable. the practice field features a green roof

following the completed arena, the towers that are included in the masterplan development are underway. the first tower, the topaasi was completed in the summer of 2021, and the first floor casino will open in december with the nokia arena. the opaali tower will be completed in 2022.

architect daniel libeskind comments: ‘the nokia arena creates a new landmark for tampere with an iconic, yet contextual, design that evokes the spirit of the finnish people.

‘the arena serves as an anchor of the surrounding development and will create a vital connection within the city and the country with its proximity to the railway tracks, which previously separated this neighborhood from the city. the dynamic shape of the building has enhanced the bands of metal slat screens that wrap the building in spiral movements.’