Excavated in the rock caves of the former storage building of the Finnish Defence Forces, the Savilahti sports and event centre will be a versatile meeting place for approx. 2,500 people in Kuopio, Finland. The underground facilities also serve as civil shelter for nearly 7,000 people.
Rock construction is always a demanding construction. The excavation of the Kuopio cave has been exceptionally demanding, as the cave hall is enormous. Several Solwers companies had an important role in the project. aDT Oy was responsible for the main and architectural design and Pontek Oy for structural design. Rockplan (now part of Finnmap Infra Oy), was involved in early stage ideation and project planning as well as the management of rock engineering in the implementation phase.
The multi-purpose centre will be completed in 2024. It will be offering hobby spaces for schoolchildren, students, sports clubs, and individual residents of the municipality. It also serves as a venue for various concerts, seminars and tournaments, league matches and international matches.
As the Savilahti sports and event centre nears the completion, we can be proud of the innovation work of our teams and partners: Kuopion kaupunki, A-Insinöörit, Rakennusliike Lapti, Sitowise and everyone who enabled this socially significant project.
Photos: aDT
