Known as a developer of wood panelling Siparila will carry out the wood cladding of the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki. The wooden cladding of this national monument of cultural and historical value will be as similar as possible to the original cladding. It will be completed towards the end of next year.

The renovation will involve replacing the wooden cladding on the facades with the old model, but raising it by two metres to hide the new grandstand canopies behind the facade.

The challenge of a sloping and curved façade

Structurally, the taller wooden façade is implemented with an independent support structure to which the frame structure and the wooden cladding are attached. The main difficulty in the renovation of the stadium façade is the challenging shape of the façade: the outwardly sloping wall surfaces, especially in the curves.

- This is by far the most challenging project we have ever done. The sizing and frame work in particular has been a real adjustment. When a small deviation is made in one phase, it is multiplied many times over when it comes to the outside surface," says Olli Prättälä , Sales Director at Siparila, about the challenges of this special project.

Installation work at height presents its own safety challenge. Since it was not possible to build scaffolding, the installers work in the open air from a moonwalk and scissor lifts. For safety reasons, the area below is completely closed off to other workers on the site.

Smartly new - respecting the old

The outer cladding of the Olympic Stadium will be as similar as possible to the original. Already during the tendering phase, Siparila supplied a total of nine pieces of test wall in different shades and with different treatments, which were placed on the wall of the south end of the Olympic Stadium for two months, exposed to the elements. The test showed that the surface treatment meets the high quality expectations very well. The width of the Siparila product was slightly modified to match the original as closely as possible.

- I can say that it hasn't been the most basic chemistry, because you have to have your tongue in the middle of your mouth all the time. The work requires real carpentry skills and a proactive approach - you have to keep the next steps in mind at all times, because mistakes will pay off as the work progresses," reveals Prättälä.

With pride in Finnish wood

The exterior cladding of the Olympic Stadium will be made of Finnish PEFC-certified, fine-sawn spruce. The finer than normal fine-sawn surface ensures that the paint surface adheres better to the rougher surface, giving the cladding the weather resistance required in challenging conditions. The exterior cladding of the Olympic Stadium covers a huge 9,000 m2 of wall area. The total volume of spruce timber is up to 500 m3. It is calculated that the timber cladding of the Olympic Stadium will absorb up to 500 tonnes of CO2 during its lifetime. The cladding panels are processed under industrially controlled conditions. The final coat of certified paint will be applied to the surface of the installed cladding next summer.

Currently, 7 professionals are working on the exterior cladding of the Olympic Stadium. Construction is well underway on the framing and cladding. When the Helsinki Olympic Stadium opens at the end of next year, it will look almost exactly as it did after the 1952 Olympics.

For more information:

Olli Prättälä, Sales Director
Siparila Oy
olli.prättälä@siparila.fi

044 3334 617

Juha Sojakka, Managing Director
Siparila Oy
juha.sojakka@siparila.fi

044 3334 610

Siparila is a family-owned company established in 2003 that manufactures exterior cladding panels, interior panels and mouldings, as well as adhesive sheeting for the trade and construction industries. Siparila aims to contribute to the well-being of builders by manufacturing fully pre-finished wood products for construction and renovation. All Siparila products are manufactured in Finland. Siparila's factories are located in Vaajakoski, Parkano, Kajaani and Kouvola. Siparila employs 130 woodworkers and has a turnover of EUR 33 million. Siparila exports its products to countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, England, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Germany.