Architect(s): Gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Marg and Partners
Address: Velyka Vasylkivska St, 55, KIEV, Ukraine
Latitude/Longitude: 50.4334665,30.5211001
Photographs: Marcus Bredt
Design : Volkwin Marg with Christian Hoffmann and Marek Nowak
Project leader : Martin Bleckmann, Roman Hepp
Staff (design) : Michael König, Christoph Salentin, Olaf Peters, Heiko Faber, Sebastian Möller, Roman Hepp
Staff (execution) : Roman Hepp, Andreas Wietheger, Clemens Dost, Christiane Wermers, Jonathan Gerlach, Anke Appel, Irina Stoyanova, Franz Lensing, Jan Philipp Weber, Dominik Heizmann, Sebastian Hilke, Irina Bohlender
Co-operation : with Personal Creative Architectural Bureau Y. Serjogin
Structural concept and design roof : schlaich bergermann und partner – Knut Göppert with Markus Balz and Thomas Moschner
Structural engineering : Kempen Krause Ingenieurgesellschaft
Technical equipment : b.i.g. Bechtold Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH
Lichtplanung : Conceptlicht
Landscape design : St raum a.-Gesellschaft von Landschaftsarchitekten mbH
Client : National Sport Complex „Olympiysky“
Seats : 68,000
Construction period : 2008-2011
The Olympic Stadium of Kiev was rebuilt when the UEFA European Football Championships was held in 2012 in which Ukraine was staging jointly with Poland.
The reconstruction of the stadium has a new design that manages to respect the historic fabric along with its important filigree concrete upper tier built in 1968, while the frame of the new roof structure was detached and placed clear of the existing bowl. This most distinctive feature is therefore being encased in a new filigree glass façade and will be duly illuminated with appropriate lighting. In a different guise during reconstruction, architects also designed to rebuild the plinth structure of 1948 arising from the location of the stadium on a slope at the West End. The geometry of the lower part of the stand was completely redesigned and updated in accordance with safety requirements.
Beneath the main stand, extensive premises were constructed for players, VIP guests and press representatives, particularly at the west end of the stadium. After the European Football Championships ended in 2012, an athletics track was also inserted, enhancing the functionality of the stadium. The glazed structure of the stadium is an urban landmark in the cityscape of downtown Kiev, when it is illuminated at night. The interior of the stadium, with seats for around 68,000 people, gains an individual, unmistakable identity with a membrane roof structure incorporating air supports and domes of light.
The new stadium opened on 8th October 2011 and the first international match after the opening was held between Ukraine and Germany on 11th November 2011.
