Donbass Arena
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| Location | Donetsk, Ukraine |
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| Coordinates | 48°1′15″N 37°48′35″E / 48.02083°N 37.80972°E |
| Owner | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| Operator | Donbass Arena |
| Capacity | 52,187 |
| Field size | 105m x 68m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 27, 2006 |
| Opened | August 29, 2009 |
| Closed | 2014 (due to War in Donbass) |
| Construction cost | ₴ 3,175 billion |
| Architect | Arup Sports[1] |
| General contractor | ENKA |
| Tenants | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk (temporarily relocated to Lviv) | |
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Donbass Arena or Donbas Arena (Ukrainian: Донба́с Аре́на [donˈbɑs ɑˈrɛnɑ], Russian: Донба́сc Аре́на) is a stadium with a natural grass pitch in Donetsk, Ukraine that opened on 29 August 2009. The facility is located in the center of the city, in the Lenin Comsomol park. With a capacity of 52,518 spectators, the stadium hosts FC Shakhtar Donetsk matches and hosted some matches of Euro 2012. It is also one of the popular nightlife spots in Donetsk.
The initial estimated cost of the project was $250 million. $30M has been allocated to set up a recreational park around the stadium. The final cost of the project will reach $400M.[2][3]
The name of the stadium represents the shortened name for the Donets basin industrial region, hence – Donbas, however the official name in English spells after the Russian orthography.
Construction and design
Construction began in 2006. The general contractor was a Turkish company ENKA. The Stadium was completed and opened in 2009. About 1600 specialists, mainly Turkish, were involved in the construction.
Donbass Arena was designed by ArupSport. It was Project Managed by Arup Major Projects (Project Director Charles Goddard). Arup Sport also designed the City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester, England), Allianz Arena (Munich, Germany) and the Beijing National Stadium (Beijing, China). The soaring roof effect makes the Stadium resemble a flying saucer. The stadium has an oval shape and a glazed façade and is located near Regional Sport Complex Olimpiyskiy. The roof of the stadium slopes from north to south matching the landscape and contributing to the natural lighting and airing of the pitch. The external lighting makes the Stadium shine at night. A major design consideration was the ongoing protection of as much of the forest setting as possible (each tree having been planted in commemoration of deceased family members in the Great Patriotic War, and the exclusion zones to the neighbouring war memorials. A major geotechnical fault exists some 100m below the ground directly under the centre-spot. The building's foundations and piling was a major sub-project.
Opening
The Donbass Arena was completed ahead of schedule, but the grand opening was delayed until 29 August 2009 to coincide with the Ukrainian holiday of Miners Day, as well as Donetsk City day. Donetsk is in the Donbass region, a mining region, and the date was chosen for its symbolism. The prime tenants of the facility are named Shakhtar Donetsk ("Donetsk Coal Miners").
American Pop/R&B singer-songwriter Beyoncé Knowles performed a show from her I Am... Tour on the opening night of the new stadium. It was Knowles' first performance in Ukraine.[4] Beyoncé performed her famous hit Halo to honour the memory of Michael Jackson, who would have had his birthday on that day.
Many state officials attended the show designed by K-events Filmmaster Group. The opening ceremony was awarded as Event of the Year at the Stadium Business Awards on June 18, 2010 in Dublin.
Shakhtar Donetsk's first match at the stadium was a 4–0 victory in a Ukrainian Premier League 2009–10 Round 8 fixture on 27 September 2009 against FC Obolon Kyiv.[5] The first international game took place on November 18, 2009 against Greece, which Ukraine lost 0–1 failing to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
UEFA Euro 2012 matches
Donbass Arena was included in the official bidding project submitted by Poland and Ukraine for hosting UEFA Euro 2012. The stadium was one of the venues for the UEFA Euro 2012. The stadium hosted group D stage games and one quarter-final and one semi-final game (with the other matches in that group played at Kiev Olympic Stadium). Unlike most new stadiums being built in Poland and Ukraine, Donbass Arena was not specifically built for the tournament.
The following matches were played at the stadium during the UEFA Euro 2012:
| Date | Time (CEST / EEST) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-11 | 18.00 / 19.00 |  France | 1–1 |  England | Group D | Joleon Lescott Samir Nasri |
| 2012-06-15 | 18.00 / 19.00 | France | 2–0 |  Ukraine | Group D | Jérémy Ménez Yohan Cabaye |
| 2012-06-19 | 20.45 / 21.45 | England | 1–0 | Ukraine | Group D | Wayne Rooney |
| 2012-06-23 | 20.45 / 21.45 |  Spain | 2–0 | France | Quarter-final | Xabi Alonso (2) |
| 2012-06-27 | 20.45 / 21.45 |  Portugal | (2–4 pen.) | Spain | Semi-final | — |
Other uses
The project of new stadium "Donbass Arena" was conceived long before Ukraine was named as co-host of Euro 2012. The owner considered the possibility of daily use of the arena. "Donbass Arena" includes three restaurants, a lounge-bar, a fan cafe, fast-food outlets, retail outlets, a fitness center, corporate boxes and first aid rooms. The stadium also provides facilities for corporate events - presentations, press conferences, celebrations and concerts. Stadium tours are available which include an examination of the unique features of Donbass Arena, a visit to the footballers’ rooms and FC Shakhtar Museum and a visit to the FC Shakhtar brand shop for souvenirs.
2014 conflict in Ukraine
On 20 May 2014 the stadium hosted a small "Peace March" against the violence of the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.[6]
On 22 August 2014 the stadium was damaged by what was reported to be artillery shelling, as the Ukrainian armed forces clashed with pro-Russian separatists for control of the town.[7]
On 20 October 2014 the stadium was again damaged by what was reported to be artillery shelling. The stadium sustained damage to the east and west sides and at least one large glass panel fell near a young girl.[8] Due to the ongoing conflict in Donetsk, Shakhtar has moved all home games to Lviv in the west. Additionally, the club's administrative headquarters and player training sessions have been shifted to Kiev.[9]
Facts
- 7,668 m2 (82,538 sq ft) natural turf will be used with 2,201 m2 (23,691 sq ft) synthetic turf
- The total area of the construction site (including mobilization areas) is 254,907 m²
- The land (including pitch), where the Stadium is located, is 46,780 m²
- The height of the new stadium is 54m from pitch level to the top of the roof.
- There are 227 lavatories with 471 toilets and 333 wash basins.
- Over 120,000 m³ of concrete were poured during construction of the Stadium
- Approximately 4,300 tonnes of steel were used for construction
- Approximately 3,800 tonnes of steel were used for the roof structure.
- Total glazing area is approximately 24,000 m²
- The total area of the tiers is approximately 70,000 m²
- The size of the football field is 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft)
References
- ↑ Official data of stadium issued by arup
- ↑ Donbass Arena Ready to Open
- ↑ Donbass Arena: More than Elite
- ↑ Beyonce to perform at the opening of Donbass Arena
- ↑ New Shakhtar stadium opens doors
- ↑ Akhmetov called a strike at the enterprises in protest, Ukrainian Media Group (20 May 2014)
Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov confronts rebellion, BBC News (20 May 2014)
Akhmetov's "Peace March" in Donetsk took 20 minutes, Interfax-Ukraine (20 May 2014)
Businessman Akhmetov condemns 'genocide of Donbas,' calls for peaceful rally against 'Donetsk People's Republic', Interfax-Ukraine (20 May 2014) - ↑ Champions League - Shakhtar stadium hit by explosions
- ↑ Near miss for young girl at Donetsk stadium as blast hits
- ↑ Shakhtar Donetsk's Donbass Arena damaged by shelling
External links
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