Töölö Sports Hall

Töölö Sports Hall The building opened in 1935 as Messuhalli, an exhibition hall designed by Aarne Hytönen and Risto-Veikko Luukkonen. It was conceived with the 1940 Olympics in mind, though those games were cancelled due to World War II. When the 1952 Games were awarded to Helsinki, the hall was expanded on the northern side to host gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, weightlifting, and basketball finals.

The structure remained largely unchanged until a fire broke out in June 1966 when the hot pitch used to fix the roof caught fire. The blaze almost destroyed the building but was extinguished with the help of 175 firemen and the army. In 1975, the hall was acquired by the City of Helsinki and renamed Töölö Sports Hall. It is listed by Docomomo as a significant example of modern architecture in Finland.

Today the hall hosts basketball, volleyball, fencing, boxing, gymnastics, and martial arts. Current home teams include the Helsinki Seagulls and Torpan Pojat. The official seating capacity is 2,000. The venue sits near the Olympic Stadium, the Opera House, and the Bolt Arena. It is located in the Taka-Töölö district, accessible via Paavo Nurmen kuja 1c.