Tampere board approves exception permit to alter Dolphinarium and Näsinneula at Särkänniemi

The City of Tampere says that on 1 September 2026, Tampere's community board approved an exception permit allowing substantial changes to protected buildings at the Särkänniemi amusement area and the placement of a new parking garage. The decision follows a recent court ruling that overturned a nearly €26 million redevelopment decision and forced the city to split the project into smaller, staged parts.

Under the approved plan, the former Dolphinarium and the Näsinneula tower base will be repaired, altered and, in places, expanded for new uses. The Dolphinarium's original section is to be converted for events. Pools and service areas will be removed, while lobby and audience spaces are to be refurbished. A 2007 extension would be replaced by a larger addition, which includes a multi-purpose hall for sports, exercise, leisure and entertainment. That departs from the existing zoning. The Näsinneula base is planned for partial demolition and enlargement, with conservation goals and improved accessibility taken into account.

The decision is conditional. During the building permit phase, developers must request a statement from the Pirkanmaa Provincial Museum and refine designs under the guidance of the city's urban image architect. The museum said the reference plan could be feasible and judged that the parts proposed for demolition do not carry special values, so the deviation should not undermine heritage protection aims. City planners say the project aligns with zoning and supports Särkänniemi's development as a tourism and leisure hub. They added that separate building permits will be needed once the exception permit is legally final and that the permit does not set a construction timetable, sequence or financing.

Local reporting in Aamulehti says the planned parking facility would be built as one floor above ground and two levels underground, located beside the multi-purpose hall. Aamulehti also reports that Tampere board CEO Mikko Hautasaari stressed the decision is not an implementation decision and does not establish a schedule, pointing to financing challenges after the Hämeenlinna Administrative Court overturned the city's €25.7 million decision this summer.