History Wall

The illustration for the history wall will be based on textual content produced by UniSport. The aim is to make UniSport’s story visible and to bring warmth and a student-made touch to the sports centre in an approachable, clear, and lively way.

The purpose of the history wall is to:

• make UniSport’s history visible
• strengthen the centre’s sense of community
• enrich the space with high-quality illustration aligned with the UniSport brand

“We want to build a centre in Viikki that is not only a place for exercise but also a place for encounters, where university culture and UniSport’s history are visibly present. University students are at the core of our operations, which is why it feels natural for us to build the new Viikki centre together with the university community,” says Sports Director Mika Suikki.

The illustrations at the Kluuvi Sports Centre have also been created in cooperation with university students, bringing a distinctive, community-driven visual identity to the space.

We are looking for an illustrator who will:

• design the overall visual concept of the history wall, including its appearance and timeline
• visualize seven key milestones in UniSport’s history by decade (i.e. illustrate the guiding texts or parts of them)
• draft the placement of the guiding texts as part of the timeline
• take into account the endpoint of the timeline: a mirror symbolizing the present moment
• use UniSport’s colours in the illustration

The guiding texts can be added to the wall either as separate elements (e.g. A4 prints) or integrated into the illustrated whole. Please note that the texts will be provided in Finnish, English, and Swedish.

Materials

• UniSport’s colours and brand book can be found here (in Finnish)
• Text content for the history wall (the milestones to be illustrated)

Implementation

The implementation method is flexible and can be chosen based on your expertise. The work may, for example, be a painting, wall vinyl, or a large digital print mounted on a backing board. The most important requirement is that the final result is durable and suitable for a public space.

• The work will be produced on a separate backing board, which will be mounted on the wall as a finished piece
• The base colour of the board is white, and its approximate size is 3.5 m x 1.2 m
• The designer proposes and acquires a backing board suitable for a public space and resistant to routine cleaning. UniSport will cover the material costs.

The finished work must be delivered to the Viikki Sports Centre by 7 September 2026.

Budget

• Total budget: €3,000–5,000 (includes design and implementation)
• Material costs are paid separately.

Who can apply

• You are a student at the University of the Arts Helsinki, Aalto University, Hanken School of Economics, or the University of Helsinki
• You have suitable expertise for the task (e.g. illustration, visual design, graphic communication)
• You can demonstrate your skills with a portfolio or work samples
• You are able to complete and deliver the work by the deadline

How to apply

Send your application by email to unisportviestinta@helsinki.fi by Friday 15 May, including:

• your contact details and information about your university and degree programme
• a short written and visual concept description (e.g. a sketch or mood board)
• a portfolio or examples of previous work
• a brief description of the implementation method
• a price proposal and cost breakdown: design work, production work, and estimated material costs

We are currently assessing the possibilities of implementing a similar history wall in other UniSport sports centres as well. Please indicate in your application whether you are preliminarily interested in adapting or reproducing your proposed design for multiple sports centres during 2026–2027. Any potential follow-up work will be clarified in autumn 2026.

The selection decision will be made by the end of May. A design meeting will be arranged with the selected applicant.

Further information and questions: unisportviestinta@helsinki.fi