With a capacity of over 36,000 spectators, the Helsinki Olympic Stadium is the largest in Finland and the second-largest stadium in Northern Europe. The large-scale renovation project has been running since 2016 and is expected to be completed in August 2020. With a total budget of approximately 300 million, the complete modernization of the stadium will be one of the biggest projects, regarding the stadium. Among other things, all grandstands will be roofed over, the martial arts arena will be renewed, the safety standards will be adapted to today‘s requirements and a new access system will be installed.
The imposing structure, built between 1934 and 1938, was among other things the venue for the first Bandy (a form of ice hockey) World Championship in 1957. It is also the home stadium of the national football team of Finland and contains a first-class sports museum. The stadium is a listed building and the reconstruction is planned and realized in close cooperation with the monument authorities.
Axess equipped the stadium with 13 mobile AX500 Smart Gates NG Turnstiles, 47 Standard Smart Gates NG Turnstiles, two mobile gates with Turnstiles ADA and eight Standard ADA. The Turnstile ADA allows easy access through a particularly wide entrance. This is extremely practical for people with prams or wheelchairs and offers a convenient alternative to the standard gates.
In addition, 4 AX500 Smart Security Gates were installed by our team in Finland. The robust, vandalism-proof construction fulfills the highest security features and is simultaneously optimized for a high passage rate.
With the additional 40 mobile HANDHELDS, the stadium is now optimally prepared for future events with the latest solutions. The HANDHELDS are extremely robust and weatherproof and are used as ticket inspectors or ticket readers. Two of the mobile gates will be equipped with WIFI, a battery and castors and placed at the entrance of the integrated museum. This means that they are extremely flexible in terms of position and can change location if necessary.
For the Axess subsidiary in Finland, this is the first project in the „Stadia & Arenas“ business segment.