Vantaa builds Finland’s fifth-largest swimming hall

Vantaa’s largest swimming hall is being built at Elmo sports park, and is expected to open next summer, Yle reports. The six-pool facility will be the fifth-largest swimming hall in Finland, with the city expecting as many as 400,000 visitors a year.

The new hall is intended to address a shortage of pool space as Vantaa’s population grows. The city’s last swimming hall was built in 1982, and there are currently 78 residents for every square metre of pool surface in Vantaa. The population of the Koivukylä district, where the sports park is being built, is forecast to rise by thousands in the coming years.

The building is due to be technically complete early next year, followed by testing and interior work. Its pools include a 50-metre main pool, teaching and therapy pools, and a deep diving pool surrounded by a yellow water slide. A gym and gymnastics hall will also be located on the second floor.

Domestic wood is a prominent feature inside and out. Most of the first-floor exterior walls and columns are made of solid wood, while the pool hall is supported by 33-metre glulam beams. Wooden panels and fibreboard are also used in the ceiling.

The building combines timber construction with concrete technical facilities beneath the pools. Its energy systems include geothermal heating, solar panels, heat recovery from shower water and a system that recirculates pool water. The pools are made of steel: the 50-metre pool is coming from Germany, while a Vantaa company is producing the smaller teaching and therapy pools.

The Elmo sports park is Vantaa’s largest sports project of the decade, and the swimming hall is the first building to be constructed there. The contractor’s site manager said the project had not faced cost increases or delivery delays linked to the geopolitical situation.