Finnish construction firm YIT and the City of Helsinki have agreed to move forward with the implementation phase of the Jätkäsaari swimming and sports centre in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, Finland.
According to YIT, the contract, worth about €94m ($108m), will be reflected in its third-quarter 2026 order book.
The project is progressing under a cooperative project management contract, following a nine-month development phase focused on refining design solutions.
During this period, the planned annual capacity of the swimming pool facilities increased from 400,000 to 550,000 visitors, bringing the total estimated yearly visits across all sports facilities to 850,000.
Groundworks and substructure construction will lead the build from September, with the facility expected to open to the public by late 2029 or early 2030.
After completion, the 21,000m² centre will accommodate over 20 different sports, catering to both amateur athletes and recreational users.
Facility plans include a rooftop yard with a running track and exercise equipment, as well as features to support accessibility and equal access.
The centre will house an eight-lane, 50m swimming pool, a teaching pool with adjustable depth, a diving pool, children’s pools, a water slide, therapy pools and other aquatic facilities.
Additionally, there will be over a dozen training areas, including spaces for team sports, fitness studios, bouldering and martial arts.
The project also incorporates energy-efficiency and low-carbon measures such as heat recovery for heating, on-site solar power, and the selection of low-carbon and recycled materials.
PES-Arkkitehdit is responsible for the main and architectural design.
YIT’s Infrastructure segment structural engineering unit vice-president Petri Saarinen said: “It is great that we are now able to start the construction work for the project.
“During the development phase, the constructability of the site was ensured, as well as high-quality implementation in accordance with the customer's goals.
“YIT has solid expertise in the construction of swimming pools and sports facilities, and in this project, energy-efficiency and low-carbon construction, for example, play a key role.”
