Scandinavium

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Scandinavium


location = Valhallagatan 1
Gothenburg, Sweden
built = May, 1969 — May, 1971
opened = May 18, 1971
renovated = 2001, 2006
expanded = 1990
owner = Idrotts- och kulturcentrum Scandinavium i Göteborg AB
operator = Got Event
construction_cost = 31 million SEK
architect = Poul Hultberg
tenants = Frölunda HC (SEL) (1971-present)
seating_capacity = Hockey: 12,044
Concert: 14,000

Scandinavium is the primary indoor sports and event arena in Gothenburg, Sweden. Construction on Scandinavium began in 1969 after decades of setbacks, the arena was built in time for the 350th year anniversary celebration of the City of Gothenburg and was inaugurated on May 18, 1971.

Scandinavium has been selected as a championship arena at least fifty times, hosting events such as World Championships in ice hockey, figure skating, and swimming, European championships, Davis Cup finals, and in 1985 the Eurovision Song Contest. It's the home arena for Frölunda HC and venue for the annual Göteborg Horse Show.

History

Plans to build an arena at the site were part of a proposal originating from 1931 to build a swimming hall and other municipally owned facilities for sport and recreation next to the exhibition center Svenska Mässan. In 1936 a preplanning process for the swimming hall and the adjunct area started, but was put on hold due to the precarious situation in Europe at the time and eventually canceled following the outbreak of World War II. In 1948 an architectural design competition was announced for an indoor arena with the project name Valhalla Inomhusarena ( _en. Valhalla indoor arena), the winning design was presented by a work group led by architect Poul Hultberg, who was working for Nils Olsson's architect firm in Gothenburg. Financing for the arena and other proposed facilities became a subject of public and political debate, the plans to build the arena were postponed indefinitely. The Valhalla Swimming Hall, which was the primary building in the 1931 proposal, was the only proposed facility to be built during the fifties due to capacity problems at other central swimming facilities.

In the 1962 election campaign the Swedish Social Democratic Party guaranteed that they would build the arena if they won the election. The Social Democrats won the election and a pre-planning process was started but financing was still an issue and the plans were yet again put on hold. In 1968 a committee assigned to plan the 350th year celebration of Gothenburg considered that it was a good idea to build the arena in time for the celebrations in 1971, making it a lasting memory of the anniversary. A company responsible for the construction was formed by the municipality and private investors, while Poul Hultberg was asked to revise his twenty-three year old designs. An estimated construction cost of twenty-three million SEK caused wild protests and intense debates but did not delay the progress. In May 1969 it was discovered that there was no construction permit for the arena, delaying the start of construction for a few weeks. When tartan tracks were installed near the end of construction, the concentration of flammable gases in the building was so high that one spark could have potentially blown up the entire structure. When construction was completed in May 1971, Scandinavium stood as the largest covered arena in northern Europe with an attendance capacity of 14,000 spectators . The construction cost totaled thirty-one million SEK, which resulted in an eight million SEK budget deficit.

Structure and facilities

Scandinavium's "sweeping appearance" comes from the hyperbolic paraboloid shaped saddle roof. [cite book|last=Caldenby|first=Claes|title=Guide till Göteborgs arkitektur|publisher=Arkitektur Förlag AB|date=2006|pages=p.102|isbn=9789186050672|oclc=162409429|accessdate=2008-09-25|language=Swedish] The roof is supported by a prestressed cable net, with a nearly constant spacing of four meters in both directions, anchored in a space curved reinforced concrete ring beam with a rectangular cross-section of 3.5 meters × 1.2 meters (11.5 ft × 4 ft). The hanging cables rise ten meters to the top from the saddle point and the bracing cables fall four meters to the valley of the ring beam. The building is 14 meters (46 ft) tall, from the event floor to the pinnacle of the saddle-shaped roof. The ring beam is supported by forty circular columns and four stiff pylons, all visible in the arenas facade. The pylons consist of radially oriented concrete walls, with a length of 3.5 meters (11.5 ft), which stores ventilation equipment. The video board, lights, and sound system is suspended in an radially oriented cable system anchored in the four pylons. It was not consider stable enough for colour telecasting to attach these components directly to the roof. The cable system also serves as tension rods for the ring beam.

The seating in Scandinavium is arranged in a one level monolithic grandstand. The round design of the structure and the symmetric oval shape of the 4,100 m² (44,100 ft²) arena floor results in more rows along the length of the floor. The first six rows are telescopic seating which can be electrically retracted. [cite web |url=http://www.kerkosport.com/en/products/data/attachments/Telescopic_net.pdf |title=KERKO - telescopic seating |accessdate=2008-09-16 |format=PDF |publisher=Kerko Sport Group |pages=4] There are forty-four executive boxes in the arena, located between the two northern pylons.

The ice hockey rink measures 61 meters × 30 meters (200 ft × 98.5 ft) which is standard international size. New double frame half boards were installed in 2001, designed to switch to NHL rink dimensions or to be easily removed when other events then ice hockey take place.cite web |url=http://www.gotevent.goteborg.se/PDF/Arsredovisning_2001.pdf |title=Verksamheten 2001 Got Event |accessdate=2008-07-10 |year=2001 |format=PDF |publisher=Got Event |language=Swedish] To maximize the view for spectators, a seamless protective glass barrier consisting of tempered glass panels clipped together at their top corners with clear plastic brackets is used instead of traditional plexiglas with metal dividers.

Location and transportation

Scandinavium is located in central Gothenburg, in the Heden district of the borough Centrum. [cite web |url=http://www5.goteborg.se/prod/stadsbyggnad/dalis2.nsf/vyFilArkiv/Centrum.pdf/$file/Centrum.pdf |title=CENTRUM — Beskrivning av stadsdelen |accessdate=2008-07-27 |year=2008 |month=March |format=PDF |publisher=Gothenburg Municipality |language=Swedish] Scandinavium is one of the center pieces of the event district called Evenemangsstråket, with Ullevi Stadium, Liseberg, Universeum, the Museum of World Culture, and Bergakungen nearby. Public transport is easily accessible; Just outside there is a tram stop named after the arena, which serves tram lines six, eight, thirteen, and fourteen. Tram lines four and five stops 250 meters from the arena at Korsvägen, a major public transport hub, which serves more then fifteen different bus lines, and will have an underground rapid transit station once Västlänken is completed. [cite web |url=http://www.banverket.se/pages/4341/UR_17_Sociala_konsekvenser_72dpi.pdf |title=Västlänken — en tågtunnel under Göteborg |accessdate=2008-07-26 |date=2006-02-09 |format=PDF |publisher=Banverket, Gothenburg Municipality, GR, Västra Götaland Regional Council, and Västtrafik |pages=16—18 |language=Swedish] Approximately one and one half kilometer north west from Scandinavium is the Gothenburg Central Station and the Nils Ericson Terminal, one half kilometer south east is the Liseberg station serving the Gothenburg commuter rail.

Due to Scandinavium's central location the arena site itself does not have any public parking spaces, parking is only provided for sponsors, the press, and event personnel at a guard-gated parking lot next to Valhalla IP. [cite web |url=http://www2.frolundaindians.com/archive/dokument/Partnerbroschyr%2008_Web.pdf |title=Partner 08/09 |accessdate=2008-07-26 |year=2008 |format=PDF |publisher=Frölunda HC |language=Swedish] Visitors are guided to eighteen nearby parking lots and parking garages, with a total of 7,000 parking spaces, by the event districts parking guidance and information system.cite web |url=http://www.vv.se/filer/17918/P-evenemang_2-2005_mini.pdf |title=Så prioriteras evenemangen som syns på skyltarna |accessdate=2008-07-08 |year=2005 |month=May |format=PDF |publisher=Swedish Road Administration |language=Swedish] The system has a total of 130 digital signs, located on motorways with information about which exit to use, and on streets in the city with more detailed information about directions and number of available parking spaces.

References

External links

* [http://www.scandinavium.se/ Scandinavium] — Official site
* [http://www.frolundaindians.com/ Frölunda Indians] — Official site
* [http://www.goteborghorseshow.com/ Göteborg Horse Show] — Official site
* [http://www.framtiden.se/ Förvaltnings AB Framtiden (owner)] — Official site