Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Former names Estadio de Montjuic (1929-85)
Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc (1989-2001)
Location Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Owner Ayuntamiento de Barcelona
Capacity 54,000
Construction
Built 1927
Opened 20 May 1929
Renovated 1985-89
Architect Pere Domènech i Roura
Tenants
Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona
Catalonia national football team
Barcelona Dragons (1991–92; 1995–2002)
RCD Espanyol (1997–2009)
Catalans Dragons (2012– )
1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Paralympics
2010 European Athletics Championships
2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Catalan pronunciation: [əsˈtaði uˈɫimpiɡ ʎuˈis kumˈpaɲs], formerly known as the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc and Estadio de Montjuic) is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city (and Barcelona's bid for the 1936 Summer Olympics, which were awarded to Berlin), it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics.[1]

The stadium has a capacity of 54,000 (67,007 during the 1992 Olympics), and is located in the Anella Olímpica, in Montjuïc, a large hill to the southwest of the city which overlooks the harbor. In 2001 the stadium was renamed after the former president of the Generalitat de Catalunya Lluís Companys, who was executed at the nearby Montjuïc Castle in 1940 by the Franco regime.

History

Interior of venue during the 2010 European Athletics Championships

Designed by architect Pere Domènech i Roura for the 1929 Expo, the stadium was officially opened on 20 May 1929. The first event took place 4 July 1929, when Bolton Wanderers were invited to play a friendly against a Catalan XI.

It was meant to host the People's Olympiad in 1936, a protest event against the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but the event had to be cancelled due the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

In the fifties, the stadium was the centerpiece of the 1955 Mediterranean Games, and in 1957 it hosted the only national football cup final between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, the two local clubs.

In the seventies the stadium was disused, and the stands deteriorated. When the Spanish Grand Prix and other races were held at the Montjuïc racing circuit, the stadium was used as a paddock for the teams. Due to safety concerns, the 1975 F1 race was nearly boycotted by drivers.

Due to the award of the 1992 Summer Olympics to Barcelona, the stadium was renovated with the involvement of Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti. The stadium was gutted, preserving only the original facades, and new grandstands were built. In 1989 the venue was re-inaugurated for the World Cup in Athletics, and three years later it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics competitions of the Olympic Games.[2]

The stadium served as the home of football club RCD Espanyol from 1997 until 2009. The Estadi Olímpic made its final La Liga appearance during the 2008-2009 season, as Espanyol moved to the newly constructed Estadi Cornellà-El Prat.

It also served as the home of the Barcelona Dragons American Football team until 2002. Because the size of the playing surface was slightly shorter than the regulation American Football length, the stadium only had 7-yard end zones, three yards shorter than regulation NFL size in 1991 and 1992. They were later lengthened to the standard 10 yards.

The stadium also played host to the NFL's American Bowl in 1993 and in 1994. The San Francisco 49ers played the Pittsburgh Steelers on 1 August 1993. The second game was played on 31 July 1994 between the Los Angeles Raiders and the Denver Broncos.

The stadium has since 1990 hosted the Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona an annual track and field meeting.

In 2010, the stadium hosted the 20th European Athletics Championships.

Events

The stadium after the 2010 remodeling.

Sports

Music

English band, Muse, performing during their 2013 tour

The stadium has hosted concerts by many famous artists, including Muse, AC/DC,Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, David Bowie, Coldplay, Deftones, Fiction Plane, Guns N' Roses, Michael Jackson, Jean Michel Jarre, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Madonna, Shakira, Metallica, Mudvayne, Pink Floyd, The Police, Prince & The New Power Generation, RBD, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Sting, Tina Turner, U2, Beyoncé and Van Halen, among others.

References

  1. ↑ "Official Report of the XXV Games of the Olympiad Barcelona 1992; Volume II; p.127" (PDF).
  2. ↑ 1992 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. pp. 160-7.
  3. 1 2 Richards, Huw A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union (Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 2007, ISBN 978-1-84596-255-5); Chapter 6, Gathering Storms, p129
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  5. ↑ "AC / DC smashes Montjuïc". Elperiodico.com. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  6. ↑ "The Queen of Pop - conquest Barcelona". Cope.es. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
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Opening and Closing Ceremonies (Olympic Stadium)
1992 		Succeeded by
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Coordinates: 41°21′53.14″N 2°9′20.37″E / 41.3647611°N 2.1556583°E / 41.3647611; 2.1556583

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.