Volgograd Arena

The stadium was built on site of the demolished Central Stadium, at the foot of the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex, near the Volga River. The previous stadium was built in 1958, on the site of a former oil depot. This area was undeveloped, occupied by randomly distributed low-value buildings, warehouses, barracks and ravines. During construction of the stadium, 300 unexploded bombs were discovered and removed from the site.[4]

To save money it was proposed to make the stadium a compact, single object, which consisted of the podium for 40 thousand spectators, a sports Olympic size arena and two large sports complex with 10 different gyms. The complex included a swimming pool and riding school which was not built due to lack of funds.

Scale model of Volgograd Arena

The Arena was designed by PI Arena and GMP Architekten, the winner of an open tender. Stroytransgaz was the project's general construction contractor.[5][6] Initially, local authorities estimated the total project cost, including the construction works, at 10 billion rubles.[7] In October 2014, the preliminary construction cost of the stadium for the 2018 FIFA World Cup was adjusted to 17 billion rubles. The architectural and planning solutions implemented in the stadium focus primarily on its efficient multifunctional use. Its sports core is fully FIFA-compliant. The stadium's capacity is at 45,000 seats, including 2,280 seats in the media box, 640 seats in the VIP box, and 460 seats for people with limited mobility.[8] A special architectural feature of the stadium is its large roof resting on a cable frame, arranged in a “bicycle wheel” pattern created by steel-wire cables. The Volgograd Arena is shaped like an overturned truncated cone 49.5 m tall and about 303 m in diameter. The façade shape is dictated by the need to fit the building compactly into the available piece of land. The stadium has 42 elevators, 24 of them adapted for people with disabilities. The ornamental pattern of the self-bearing façade structures is evocative of the traditional local wine weaving craft and Victory Day fireworks.[9] The Volgograd Arena is equipped with a sound system with speakers by Funktion One and processing and amplification by MC2 Audio.[10]

Volgograd Arena in the night

The stadium was inaugurated on April 3, 2018, shortly before the first FIFA World Cup match on April 21, 2018.[11][12] Football veterans, among them Alexander Nikitin and Valery Yesipov, were honored in an honoring ceremony before the first match.[12]

The following services are available to fans visiting the stadium:

• Navigation and information support from volunteers.
• Information (children registration point, stroller storage, lost and found office).
• Storage room.
• Audio descriptive commentary for the fans who are blind or visually impaired.

The stadium has 42 elevators, 24 are suitable for disabled fans.[9] In addition, the Arena is equipped with lifts, ramps and turnstiles for spectators with limited mobility. A separate sector of the Arena is specially made accessible for people with disabilities.[13]

By the opening of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was equipped with alarm and public alert systems, metal detectors, indicators of hazardous liquids and explosives, and the facility was serviced by 30 posts of 24-hour security posts.[14]

After the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the Arena reduced its seating capacity to 35,000 and was handed over to the local Rotor Volgograd.[19] The Arena is expected to serve as a venue for the city’s cultural and sporting events, festivals, exhibitions, and concerts. In the future, the stadium will host a fitness center.

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Sound system processing and amplification: www.mc2-audio.,co.uk