Olympic history made visible in Hämeenlinna’s new landmark
Hämeenlinna’s Olympic heritage is set to receive a striking landmark, as a new environmental artwork inspired by Olympic history is being created for the new roundabout at Turuntie and Olympiakatu. The roundabout serves as a gateway to the Ahvenisto Olympic Park, where Finnish Olympic history was written in 1952. The new landmark brings together the area’s unique past, its current diverse sports facilities, and future urban development.
From a historic competition venue to an active sports centre
At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Hämeenlinna served as one of the host cities. Ahvenisto hosted the competition for Olympic medals in modern pentathlon. This Olympic heritage is still visible at Ahvenisto today, and the area has since grown into one of Hämeenlinna’s most important centres for sports, outdoor activities, and events. Outdoor trails crisscrossing the ridge landscape, an activity park, and diverse sports facilities attract visitors year-round. The aim of the new environmental artwork is to make this unique history visible as soon as visitors arrive, and to create a recognisable landmark for Ahvenisto.
The starting point for the artwork is the visual language of the Olympic rings, reinterpreted in a new and distinctive way. The environmental artwork consists of five separate elements symbolising the five disciplines of modern pentathlon. The most intriguing feature of the artwork is its changing nature: viewed from certain directions, the elements together form a recognisable arrangement of the Olympic rings, while from other angles, the whole appears as a three-dimensional sculpture.
Due to the special status associated with the use of the Olympic rings, the project has been prepared in cooperation with the Finnish Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The aim has been to create a work that respects the values of the Olympic movement while highlighting Hämeenlinna’s unique place in Finnish Olympic history.
I am very pleased that Hämeenlinna, as the 1952 Olympic city, is getting the Olympic rings in the Ahvenisto environmental artwork. The world’s best pentathletes once competed for Olympic medals here, and the artwork is a wonderful way to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Helsinki Olympics, which will be marked next year. The developed Ahvenisto area will receive a fitting symbol in the Olympic rings, a reminder of its unique Olympic history.
Petri Keskitalo, Deputy CEO of the Finnish Olympic Committee
A recognisable gateway to Ahvenisto
The environmental artwork will be carried out as part of the broader renewal of Turuntie, which will improve the area’s traffic environment as well as connections for walking, cycling, and public transport. The new roundabout will become an important junction connecting Ahvenisto, the city centre, and the new hospital area.
The artwork will be made of Corten steel, whose warm surface, which develops a patina over time, enhances its sculptural appearance and blends naturally with the area’s built environment. After dark, the artwork will be lit so that the shape of the rings stands out. Information boards will be placed near the roundabout, explaining the symbolism of the artwork and Hämeenlinna’s connection to the 1952 Olympics.
The concept and design of the environmental artwork and information boards were created by the Hämeenlinna-based design agency Muotoilutoimisto Siltanen & Sandberg. The artwork will give Ahvenisto a new landmark, making the city’s Olympic history visible to everyone arriving in the area, as well as to passers-by.
The plan and planning report for the environmental artwork at the Olympiakatu and Turuntie roundabout (district 09, Poltinaho) will be publicly displayed from 21 September 2026 to 5 October 2026, in accordance with Sections 46 and 43 of the Land Use and Building Decree.