OFIS Architects Complete Competition Winning Soccer Stadium in Slovenia

Slovenian OFIS Architects recently completed the soccer stadium in Maribor, eastern Slovenia, which won them the competition back in 1998.

The site is located in the center of the city. In the 1960s, a small tribune was build along one side of the field covered with a massive arched concrete roof.

competition site before reconstruction

stadium today after completion

The brief was to convert the field into a soccer stadium and extend the existing building with covered tribunes (for 12,500 spectators, VIP and press facilities) and additional public program, such as four big gymnasiums, fitness club with swimming pools, shops, and restaurants.

The project proposed a ring of tribunes weaving above an enclosed base with the public programs.The lowest and the highest point of the tribunes are defined by the quality of the view of the spectator.

In the corners of the field, where the views are restricted, the entrances to the tribunes are displaced. The ring is pulled down here to the level of the entry plateau. Then it rises gently and reaches the highest points in the middle of the field’s length. The corridor of the ring is double layered and provides room for VIP, Press and refreshments.

The other sport facilities and shops are located in the tribune’s base. The roof of the base forms an entry plateau to the tribunes and also offers views to the smaller sport field outside of the stadium.

The budget for the stadium construction was 10.8 million Euro.

Photo credits: Tomaž Gregorič

Chester Soccer Stadium

The big news on the City's economic development front is a large scale mixed use development project on the Chester waterfront. Located southwest of the Commodore Barry Bridge, this development will be anchored by an 18,500 seat soccer stadium, which officially broke ground on December 1, 2008. The stadium will not only bring the nation's 16th Major League Soccer franchise to Chester, but it will also bring new job opportunities and economic activity to the City.

In addition, this world class venue will also be the home of the Women's Professional Soccer league, beginning in 2010. The stadium will also host a number of additional events throughout the year, including potential concerts and various high school and collegiate sporting events. The completion date for the soccer stadium is scheduled for the spring of 2010.

As an existing brownfield site, a significant benefit of this development will result in a substantial level of environmental cleanup, which is being closely monitored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Click here for more information about the cleanup of the site.

For more information on Major League Soccer and the Women's Professional Soccer league visit the sites below:

LOUIS II STADIUM

Built in the 1980’s, inaugurated by SAS Prince Rainier III on January 25, 1985, the Louis II Stadium is a gigantic complex of 30,000 m ² including :

• an open air stadium
• Athletic facilities used for sporting activities and events
• A 1,700 capacity, 4 floored parking garage
• A complex of office space surrounding the stadium.

The Louis II Stadium contains three principal components intended to accommodate athletes and spectators :

• The multisport athletic complex
• The Aquatic Center
• The soccer stadium and the track and field facilities

The soccer stadium is the only of its kind. While respecting the standards of UEFA, the lawn rests on the roof of the parking garage 850m above ground level. The enclosure contains 18,523 seats. An awning provides shelter for the fans and also lights the field for night games.

At the end of the 2001-2002 season, renovations were made to the stadium lighting system. The projectors were repositioned and the number of units was recalculated in order to create a more uniformed effect. The amount of lights increased from 200 to 340, and it is of note to mention, a backup system was installed to relight the stadium instantaneously in the unlikely event of a power outage.

Two different lighting configurations were installed: one for athletic events with 310 projectors, and another for soccer with approximately 200 projectors.

These improvements allowed for an increase in horizontal lighting from 1,030 lux to 2,200 lux and in vertical lighting from 1,010 lux to 1,800 lux. New UEFA and FFF regulations recommend an average of 1,400 lux for horizontal and vertical illumination.

An electronic control panel, coordinated with an electronic timing system, allows for instantaneous transmissions of results to the fans.

The AS Monaco FC Youth Academy is integrated within the complex itself. Designed to accommodate young players, it includes individual rooms, a restaurant, and other additional facilities.

Facts :

• Field : 105m x 68m
• Capacity : 18 523 seats
• Press Tribune: : 102 seats
• Audiovisual Media Tribune : 23 seats (standard competition of three seats)
• Photo Laboratory : 7 Dark rooms with running water, telephone service, and electricity
• Press Conference Room : 80 seats

Visit the Louis II Stadium !

Come from Monday through Friday to the Louis II Stadium reception area, 7 avenue des Castelans, for a 30 minute tour, and see all the sights.

Visiting Schedule : 10:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:00pm, and an additional meeting time at 5:00pm during the summer.

Estadio Centenario

Everthing is ready and all tickets have been sold. Now we wait to see how many norteños make the trip to the stadium that hosted the first ever World Cup in 1930. Let’s hope history repeats itself and the Uruguayans provide a performance like the Charruas from the past.

The Monterrey soccer stadium

Exhibition Stadium

They both had Astroturf, aside from that I don't know what else is similar about them.

Exhibition Stadium: There's a new soccer stadium on the site now


SkyDome: renamed Rogers Centre a few years ago



Two different structures at different sites, one of them badly set up for baseball and the other one pretty good

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Ataturk Olympics Stadium in Istanbul

The Atatürk Olympics Stadium is the largest football (soccer) stadium in Turkey. It's located in Ikitelli district of Istanbul, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of the city center. It was built for the purpose of Turkey's Olympics bidding in 3 years time and opened in 2002, around 100 million US dollars were spent for the construction. The stadium is dedicated to the great leader of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The stadium officially has a capacity of 75.145 sports fans, which can go up to 81.000. A total of 669 seats are reserved for the press and 335 for the protocol. There are 558 toilets, 6 elevators, several first aid rooms and a small hospital room, 98 metal detectors, 38 security cameras, VIP rooms, training fields, amphitheaters, meeting rooms, and areas reserved for the fireman and police etc.

Atatürk Stadium is the home of Turkish National Soccer Team, all of their official games are played here. Besides the national team, also Galatasaray football team plays here during some important matches. Champions League final between Milan and Liverpool was played in Atatürk Stadium on 25 May 2005, and UEFA has rated it as a "5-star sport complex". Besides footbal games, some important athletic races are also held in the stadium.