Opolski Stadium

The Opolski Stadium is to occupy the area at the junction of Technologiczna and Północna streets in Opole. The main objective of the architectural concept and land development is to erect an attractive and unique structure, whose functionality will be in line with the extensive program and high standards of a sports facility, as well as the Construction Law. Moreover, the designed object will fit into the existing spatial context and make the best use of the development plot in question.

One of the main ideas behind the project is to design a structure that will reflect the urban function and public utility of a stadium, and respect and emphasise its archetypal structure of a football facility. Following this assumption has allowed us to design a structure that stylistically matches the neighbouring Convention and Exhibition Centre (Centrum Kongresowo-Wystawiennicze), and is a natural extension of the space for hosting cultural, municipal and business events.
The transport network inside and outside of the building are to be characteristically simple and clear, allowing hundreds and thousands of users to orientate and move within this space with ease.

In order to ensure its high functionality, the facility has purely utilitarian spaces in place. Leisure and representative spaces additionally increase the value of the facility itself, as well as the whole development area.

The land under this project is adjacent to storage and industrial areas, Karolinka Shopping Centre, sports fields and the Conference and Lecture Hall (Centrum Wykładowo Konferencyjne) in Technologiczna Street, which is the main transport axis and the access road to all entrances to the stadium, the office building and the main arena.

The rectangular area across Technologiczna Street has been intended for a big public carpark with a separate guarded VIP section.

The northern section along the Północna Street, bordered with old tree alleys, will be transformed into a pedestrian and cycle zone.
In accordance with the contest guidelines, the stadium will be located in the central part of the development area. The axis of the building’s structure precisely copies that of the neighbouring Conference and Lecture Hall.

The land under this project is adjacent to storage and industrial areas, Karolinka Shopping Centre, sports fields and the Conference and Lecture Hall (Centrum Wykładowo Konferencyjne) in Technologiczna Street, which is the main transport axis and the access road to all entrances to the stadium, the office building and the main arena.

The rectangular area across Technologiczna Street has been intended for a big public carpark with a separate guarded VIP section.

The northern section along the Północna Street, bordered with old tree alleys, will be transformed into a pedestrian and cycle zone.
In accordance with the contest guidelines, the stadium will be located in the central part of the development area. The axis of the building’s structure precisely copies that of the neighbouring Conference and Lecture Hall.

The simplicity of the building’s structure and its horizontal character are a compromise between the extensive functional program of a stadium, the legal regulations and the local terrain conditions.

Our main objective was to make the stadium structure agree with the neighbouring buildings in its shape and form.

One of the main solutions was, therefore, making the stadium correspond visually with the neighbouring Convention and Exhibition Centre (Centrum Kongresowo-Wystawiennicze), which is the local event and education center and organiser of cultural and business events. The stadium is supposed to be the „local host” and the „Centre’s twin brother” and as such it is to share and extend all the functions suggested by the Centre’s users. However, what dominates the functional and spacial design is the primary function of the facility, i.e. the football stadium.

The Facility: includes: the pitch; the arena; storage, technical, and catering kiosks; sanitary units with medical services; and the office building accommodating various rooms and spaces, indispensable for the proper functioning of the whole building.
The Stadium: The size of the pitch is 105mx68m. Entrances to the pitch are located at the corners and connected with the route network for the technical maintenance, supply, medical and security services.

The Office Building:
The player and referee sector: Entranced from the pitch level, connected with the facilities for the players. Changing rooms, toilets and showers for players are located in separate units for each team and accessible form the common area, with adjacent warm-up halls.
Coach rooms are situated next to each team unit.
Additionally, accessible from this section are: doping control rooms, the host wellness centre, separate rooms for delegates and warm-up halls.

The first aid rooms for players and the ambulance parking area are located at the south eastern entrance to the pitch, which is directly connected to the municipal transportation network and allows easy access to Wrocławska Street.

The Arena:
For organised groups of spectators: 607 seats
Regular seats: 11.040
VIP seats: 360
VIP skyboxes: 160
Seats for the disabled with assistance: 30 + 30
The media: (TV: 24, Radio: 12: the press: 72) 108
Total: 12.335

The arena currently counts 17 rows of seats with the possible future extension to 20 rows, which will allow accommodating additional 2000 seats.

Access to and evacuation of the arena: The stands can be accessed from the four corners of the stadium (access control), and exited through additional exits located in all the facades. Each exit is fitted with turnstiles allowing access control and there are stairs leading to the main section of the stadium.
The separate VIP entrance is located on level +2.
The disabled can access the arena through the entrance located on the northern facade using ramps leading to selected sections.
All other spectators can access the arena from the promenade surrounding it on three sides. Catering kiosks and sanitary units are located next to all entrances/exits.
Access to the arena:
General stands (for hosts) – direct access from the promenade level.
VIP stands – direct access via stairs or lifts from the VIP sector on level +2.
Media stands – direct access via stairs from the Media sector on level +1.
Guest stands – direct access from the promenade level in the sector separated from the rest of the facility with a net.

The Media sector: located on level +1, accommodating a TV studio with access to telecommunications systems, a conference room and technical rooms with tables and sanitary units. This sector is linked to the Football Team’s Backroom with a staircase, and with the entrance hall with a lift (or a staircase). The exit in the media sector leads directly to the stands dedicated to the press.

The Administration Sector: The Stadium Management, the Sports Club, the Local Football Association, The Football Fans Association – level +1

Technical and storage space and technical staff workspace – level 0; rooms located in the office building with additional resource rooms for greenery maintenance staff. Technical rooms with a transformer station and an electrical switchboard, as well as the gardener’s room and a workshop are located in the area and fitted into the neighbouring development, in such a way that coach driveways and football teams entrances are hidden from view.

The VIP sector: located on level +2 and designed as common space to be divided into VIP Gold and VIP silver zones. The VIP sector has two kitchenettes and a sanitary unit set. There are ten skyboxes in the sector. The VIP stands can be accessed from the VIP sector or directly from the skyboxes.

The main roofing structure of the stadium is made of steel cantilever beams supported by reinforced concrete pillars, positioned at even distances along the structure’s axis. The axis stretches behind the arena along the building’s facade, which increases the functionality of the facility, as the view from each and every seat in the the stands is not obstructed by elements of the structure.

The static model of the structure makes it incredibly effective, ergonomic and economical, and helps to maintain its cost at a considerably low level. It allows roofing not only a substantial part of the arena but also the area at the base of the stadium where the entrances and service points are located. The stands, made of reinforced concrete, are mounted on the external axis of the pillars, underneath which runs a network of passages leading spectators to their designated sectors, and where deposit spaces, toilets and service points are located.

The functional spaces mentioned above are designed as separate kiosks, whose structure will be based on a simple framework made of reinforced concrete. No longer needed as an element of the main structure, the longer walls of the kiosks will be made of the same material as the facade, and divided into easily-removable modules. This will allow fitting in windows in any chosen place and adjusting each space to its individual function or the requirements of a rentee.

Electrical installation and lighting, as well as water supply, sewage and water harvesting systems, will all be installed in the whole facility to ensure its effective and sustainable functioning.

In order to optimise the maintenance costs of the facility and minimise its negative effect on the environment, the stadium’s most characteristic feature, namely its size, will be exploited. Roofs and hard-paved surfaces collect tens of thousands cubic metres of rainwater every year through gutters, downpipes and rainwater drainage systems. This water is usually accumulated in municipal rainwater drainage systems, which decreases the retention capacity in the region, and subsequently increases the need for new infrastructure.

In our project rainwater is to be led into a drain tank, where it will be stored and harvested. From there, a smaller portion of the rainwater will be sent to the showers, washbasins and toilets in the main facility through a special grey water system which will ensure its required parameters. The remaining rainwater will be used for watering the pitch, which consumes 3m3/1000m2 of water every day. In the case of rain, a few independent rain detectors will release accumulated rainwater to the rainwater drainage system ensuring safe water management in the area.

Costs will be minimised further by installing LED lighting in the facility, which for some time has been a sign of good practice in buildings of this size.
Electrical switchboards and other technical rooms have been located outside of the stadium which will allow optimal installation of electrical wires around the building and prevent the formation of electromagnetic fields inside of it.

Finally, locating the main building of the stadium along its northern facade, apart from its obvious functional advantages related to a sports event, maximises the exposure of the sun panels to sunlight, were they to be installed on the roof.

The most important material in the project is used in the openwork outer layer of the stadium, constructed from a perforated plate attached to the main pillars of the substructure and the beams of the main structure of the stadium.

Apart from its aesthetic features, the openwork has its functional advantages. It will allow better ventilation of the stadium from all sides and will make the smoke ventilation system for the transport route located underneath the arena redundant.

Aesthetically, the openwork refers to the public utility buildings around. On the other hand, however, from behind this semi-transparent barrier can be seen beams and pillars, which are characteristic elements of a sports facility. This duality combines the idea of functionality with the required aesthetics.
Nevertheless, the essential elements of the facade and the structure have been reinforced with concrete walls of appropriate height, increasing their durability and serving as a wind protection for the arena.

The materials used in the facade of the main building bordering the western arena again refer to the neighbouring conference centre. The concrete framework including side walls, the innermost ceiling and the parapet, has been completed with a light glass curtain wall.

A part of the main building and the stadium are joined together on the western facade with razor-shaped elements poised at 90 degrees to the facade. This solution has been used to highlight the fact that the western facade is to be treated as the front facade, and as suggested by the transport routes within the area, also the main facade of the building.

The roof is mainly covered with trapezoidal sheet and a transparent material on the first few meters of its inner edge, which will allow sunshine to illuminate the pitch for most of the day ensuring proper vegetation and possibly low maintenance costs of the essential surface of the stadium.

The surfaces of the main square and the pedestrian and vehicle passageways will be built with materials allowing their proper functioning. However, green belts, covered with gravel and grass will be added to indicate the recreational character of the sections situated between concrete benches where users can spend their free time.