YIT Breaks Ground on EUR 94 Million Jätkäsaari Swimming and Sports Center in Helsinki

YIT Corporation has announced the start of construction on the Jätkäsaari Swimming and Sports Center in Helsinki, a project valued at approximately EUR 94 million to YIT. The announcement, made Sept. 2, 2026, marks the transition from a development phase into full implementation for what is described as the largest addition to Helsinki's public sports infrastructure in decades.

Deal Structure and Contract Terms

YIT is delivering the project under a cooperative project management contract with the City of Helsinki's Urban Environment Division. The EUR 94 million contract value has been booked into YIT's Q3 2026 order book. The city's own planning-stage estimate for total construction cost stood at more than EUR 113 million, with the final figure to be specified as design and procurement are completed.

The path to construction start spanned roughly a year of structured pre-development work. The City of Helsinki selected YIT as its development-phase partner in November 2025, with that phase running approximately nine months before the implementation agreement was signed. During the development phase, the project's scope was refined: the annual swimming pool visitor estimate was increased from 400,000 to 550,000, and the contract value was adjusted upward from an earlier estimate of approximately EUR 87 million to the current EUR 94 million figure.

Project Scale and Facility Program

The Jätkäsaari Swimming and Sports Center will occupy approximately 21,000 gross square meters — one architectural source cites a refined figure of 21,577 m² — in the Jätkäsaari district of Helsinki's West Harbour, one of the city's fastest-urbanizing waterfront areas. The building is designed to serve local residents, schools, sports clubs, and city-run programming such as swimming lessons and water aerobics.

The aquatics program is extensive. The facility will include an eight-lane, 50-meter competition pool; a teaching pool with adjustable depth; a diving pool; a wading and children's pool; a water slide; a therapy and multifunctional pool; and a cold pool and jacuzzi. On the dry-side, the center will feature a ball game hall, group exercise halls, dance and yoga studios, a gym and functional training area, a skill and motor skills hall, a bouldering area, and boxing and martial arts halls. A rooftop yard area will include a running track and outdoor exercise equipment.

Total annual visits across all sports facilities are projected at approximately 850,000, with the building designed to accommodate amateur athletes across more than 20 different sports disciplines.

Design and Urban Context

Architectural and main design services are being provided by PES-Arkkitehdit Oy, a Finnish architecture office with experience in complex public facilities. The center is integrated into the broader West Harbour urban fabric, adjacent to existing residential and school uses in the Jätkäsaari submarket.

City planning documentation for the 21,000 m² sports center was completed in March 2025, with the city's planning materials targeting a summer 2026 construction start — a timeline consistent with the September 2026 implementation announcement. The project represents a significant piece of social infrastructure investment tied directly to the ongoing densification of Helsinki's western waterfront.

Strategic Context for YIT

The Jätkäsaari contract reflects YIT's positioning in complex, cooperative public-sector construction. The project's structure, in which YIT participated in design refinement and scope development before transitioning to a construction role, is characteristic of the cooperative project management model used for major municipal social infrastructure in Finland.

With the EUR 94 million contract now in YIT's order book and construction underway, the company is set to deliver the completed facility by late 2029 or early 2030.

Sources

YIT Corporation — Investor News: YIT to start construction of Jätkäsaari swimming and sports center in Helsinki