Construction of a city stadium in Katowice

Construction of the new city stadium in Katowice is not slowing down. The stands are being installed and the staircases of the sports hall are being built. The foundation slabs for the massive, weighing more than 15 tonnes, corner walls of the stadium’s stand structure are also being made. Simultaneously, the project’s general contractor is preparing the site for the sports pitches.

The new city stadium is being built in Bocheńskiego, Upadowa and Dobrego Urobku streets in Katowice. The project was divided into two stages. Mayor of Katowice, Marcin Krupa, says, “I am sure that this facility will become another showcase for the city. I believe that the stadium will become part of Katowice’s landscape and a recognisable point on the city map. It will be visible from the A4 motorway,” and he adds that “We want it to be a functional facility, tailored to the needs of the residents, but, above all, modern and well-integrated with the city.” Mayor also emphasises that an undoubted advantage of the project in this location is the possibility to revitalise another area of the city.

The general contractor for the project is the Sopot-based company NDI, which is tasked with the construction of, among other things, the stadium with stands seating 15,000 fans, a sports and entertainment hall with the auditorium that can accommodate approximately 3,000 people, the main square, two full-size training pitches, as well as a car park for 11 coaches and 252 passenger cars (including 13 parking spaces for vehicles of disabled persons). NDI is also responsible for the development of the area around the stadium and the construction of roads, pavements and cycle paths. The effects of engineers working on a 24/7 basis can already be seen. At night, massive, prefabricated elements weighing more than ten tonnes are brought to the construction site to form the structure of the sports facility.

The sports hall is emerging

“We are already finishing the foundations for the construction of the hall building. Simultaneously, in the sports pitch area, we are installing stands consisting of raker beams and riser units with a span of over 9 metres and a weight of 12 tonnes. On the opposite side of the hall, the fourth of seven staircases is being built, which will be used to access the various storeys made of HC slabs,” explains Arkadiusz Tuszkowski, Project Director from NDI Group. He announces that, in the coming weeks, the contractors would continue work on the assembly of the hall’s prefabricated structure, the installation of 47-metre-long steel girders, and planned to begin masonry work to enclose the body of the sports hall. Furthermore, preparatory works for the steel structure of the hall’s roof will soon begin.

Tunnels for competitors and visitors are ready

Meanwhile, in the area of the stadium itself, reinforced concrete works are in progress. The foundation slabs for the weighing over 15 tonnes corner walls of the stadium’s stand structure are being made, as well as the benches and footings for the stand structures. At the stadium, the foundation for the pitch is also being prepared, and installations are being placed underground. Furthermore, two underground tunnels have already been constructed – the first connects the pitch to the changing rooms and the second will serve the fans.

“In the area of the training pitches, flatwork is underway so that the foundation and installations under the turf can be made. We installed 20-metre-long light masts with LED lighting technology. We also completed the foundation for car parks and an access road in the binder course, together with lighting, which connects the facility with Bocheńskiego Street,” reports Arkadiusz Tuszkowski, project director from the NDI Group.

Moreover, the contractor also completed the construction work for the underground fire water tank. The first stage of the project – including the construction of the stadium, sports hall, two training pitches, parking spaces and the necessary road infrastructure – according to the schedule, should be completed by the end of August 2024. As part of the second stage of the construction of the complex, four additional training pitches, a field for goalkeeper practice, additional roads and parking spaces will be added to the then existing facilities. The contract for the first stage of the project is estimated to be worth PLN 268 million.

What does the project include

The new stadium will be a single-space, single-storey building with facilities below the auditorium.

“The auditorium is to consist of four sloped stands connected by angled corners. Below, there will be four corner vomitoria (gates) that will enable cars to access the pitch and ensure that the turf – equipped with drainage, irrigation and heating systems – can be ventilated,” explains Jarosław Łuczyński. “The southern, eastern and northern stands will consist of 21 ascending rows, and the western stand will have 20 rows. The stadium will seat nearly 15,000 people. The sports hall will have three storeys above ground. It will accommodate nearly 3,000 fans. The entire sports complex will be surrounded by a roofed colonnade of 50×50 cm columns, on which the steel roof structure will rest,” adds the representative of Katowickie Inwestycje S.A.