Sparta Stadium, Rotterdam

Soccer stadium for Sparta, Rotterdam

The Sparta Stadium, the oldest football stadium in Holland, no longer met contemporary expectations. After extensive research it was decided to rebuild the stadium on the same location. One of the reasons for this decision was the positive social and economic influence the stadium would have on the redevelopment of the neighbourhood Spangen.

The available space was limited. It therefore had to be maximally exploited: under the stands we made business accommodations, on top of the main building there are two extra floors with offices, and in the Castle (the old main stand that is to be renovated) a facility for the neighbourhood has been designed. Thus, the stadium is not only used for sporting events; it also hosts various activities which makes it an integrated part of the residential area.

We moved the stadium a quarter of a turn, returning 'Het Kasteel" (the Castle) to its original position in the middle of the field. The new main building is located on the other side, in the direction of the Horvath road. This makes it possible to lead the stadium traffic around the town. On the first floor of the building there are extensive business facilities: a conference room, a restaurant and a large bar.

The stadium has about 10.000 regular seats, 500 business seats and 18 business units with 11 places each and 40 press seats. The field has been lifted forty metres, and together with the billboards it forms a barrier between the audience and the players. Thus, there is no need for a fence between the field and the bleachers, making it possible to have a good view of the field upon entering the stadium. The stand is made of concrete prefab elements. The roof of the stand is made of steel. For the exterior we chose a non-porous dark brick, which is less sensitive to graffiti. The cedar facade is high and cannot be reached by vandals.

Project: #151