JKMM Architects' Tammela Stadium named Finland’s best new architectural design for 2024

JKMM Architects' Tammela Stadium has been announced as the winner of this year’s Finlandia Prize for Architecture by the journalist Antti Kuronen and Association of Finnish Architects (SAFA).

The multipurpose stadium was constructed in 2023 and covers 509,193 square feet with a capacity of 8,000 people for sporting events and 15,000 for concerts. Samuli Miettinen led the firm’s design team, which impressed the noted war correspondent for its response to challenging site parameters and ability to promote sustainability and a "peaceful coexistence for all."

Kuronen commented: "In creating the stadium, the designers at JKMM Arkkitehdit have made a bold and fresh contribution to Finnish urban design and urban culture. Tammela Stadium is less a monument or a piece of architectural eye candy and more a secret destination, a veritable shrine to football, whose existence only becomes apparent as you actually enter it. A first-time visitor might well pass here without ever realising they are in the presence of a well-appointed sporting venue. Tammela Stadium makes a bold and fresh contribution to Finnish urban design."

The 2024 pre-selection jury included Professor Jenni Reuter (Chair), architects Harri Hautajärvi and Kirsi Korhonen, and Professor Matti Sanaksenaho.