Construction of a new municipal stadium in Katowice begins

On October 14, the Mayor of Katowice, Marcin Krupa, broke ground on the construction site of the new municipal stadium in Katowice. It will be a modern facility that will combine an outdoor football stadium with 15,000 seats, a sports hall and extensive training facilities.

“I am convinced that this facility will become another landmark of the city. I believe that the stadium will fit into the landscape of Katowice and will become recognizable. It will be visible from the A4 motorway,” says Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice. ”We want it to be functional, tailored to the needs of Katowice, but most of all modern and well integrated into the city” – adds the Mayor, who emphasises – “the undoubted advantage of implementing the investment in this place is the possibility of revitalising another area of our city.”

The Municipal Stadium will be built within the following districts: Osiedle Witosa, Załęska Hałda-Brynów – western part and Załęże. From the north, the area closes the A4 motorway. The organisation and preparation of the construction site began in September. The investment has been divided into two stages. The first, carried out by NDI, is the construction of a stadium, a sport and entertainment hall, and the main square, two full-size training pitches and parking lots for cars and coaches. The development of the area around the stadium will also begin, along with the construction of roads, pavements, and bicycle routes.

“Breaking ground is always a symbolic event at the construction site,” says Małgorzata Winiarek Gajewska, President of the NDI Group. “We are looking forward to starting the construction of the Municipal Stadium in Katowice and the possibility of continuing our cooperation with the Katowice local government. We have completed the reconstruction of the Centre in the Rondo-Rynek zone for the City, and recently we have completed the construction of two swimming pools in Brynów and Szopienice. We are building an important road junction DK 81/86. For our NDI South Branch, 2021 is particularly important because the branch is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the start of the construction of such an interesting facility will certainly strengthen its position in Silesia,” adds the President of NDI. 

The first preparations for the construction of the new facility have already begun last year. A plot of land was purchased, the cost of which amounted to PLN 302 thousand, the necessary applications for a building permit were submitted and, most importantly, a design was completed by RS Architekci. This year, a tender for the construction of the complex was held. As a result, NDI was selected, which, according to the contract signed on August 31, undertook to complete the construction in 36 months.

“As a resident of Katowice for many generations, I am glad that the city is starting the construction of a facility, which I hope we will all be proud of soon. A stadium and a hall that everyone living in Katowice will benefit from,” said Piotr Koszecki, President of the “SK 1964” Supporters Association. “I perceive my presence here as a tribute to all GKS supporters who have done their best over the years to get this stadium built,” he adds.

The first stage of the investment, including the construction of a stadium, a 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, 4 additional training pitches will be added to the existing facilities, the field for goalkeeping practice, additional roads and parking spaces. The first stage of the investment will cost approx. PLN 205 million, while the second one is estimated on the basis of an investor’s cost estimate – approx. PLN 42 million. The construction of the sports complex will be financed from the city budget and possibly from bonds.

What is included in the investment?

The stadium will be a single-space, one-storey, above-ground structure with enclosed facilities (kiosks) under the auditorium, while the sports hall is a facility with 3 above-ground storeys. The entire sports complex will be surrounded by a 50×50 cm roofed colonnade supporting the steel roof structure.

The functional structure of the stadium is shaped by the pitch, the auditorium, and the roof. The second one will be made up of 4 inclined stands connected by diagonal corners, under which 4 gates are located, allowing car access to the pitch (105×68 m) and ensuring ventilation of the turf (equipped with drainage, irrigation and heating systems).

The southern, eastern and northern stands will ultimately consist of 21 uplifted rows, while the western stand will consist of 20 rows due to the functional connection with some rooms on the 2nd floor of the sports hall building (including VIP lounges). The total number of seats for supporters in the auditorium will be 14,843 (including 14,807 chairs and 36 lots for disabled people), and the total number of seats in the stadium will be 14,893 (50 seats for media and multimedia service representatives). There are 773 seats for visiting guests in sector 16 and partially in sectors 15 and 17. It is possible to extend the visitors’ supporter zone by sector 17 in the area of the northern stand (by another 417 seats). In turn, 563 seats in the central part of the west stand are the so-called VIP area. In the north-west part of the stadium 187 seats will be a zone of the family sector.

The stadium will be equipped with 2 jumbotrons with dimensions of approx. 4.9×6.9 m.

Sports hall. The representative entrance zone to the sports hall building is the southern entrance courtyard and the two-story entrance hall with exposure to the indoor sports hall. It will be equipped with 2,792 seats and a wide bypass at the level of the last row of seats. On the west and east side of the above-mentioned zone, there are all other functions that contribute to the functional and operational program of the sports complex of the stadium and the hall, including sports facilities, the complex of VIP rooms, the complex of monitoring rooms, the complex of media service rooms for events, administrative facilities, service and technical facilities. There is a parking lot for security and emergency services under the courtyard.

Land development. As part of the first stage of the investment, approximately 252 parking spaces for cars (including 13 parking spaces for people with disabilities) and 11 parking spaces for coaches will be built. In the vicinity of the stadium, a part of the communication system will also be built, along with pavements. Trees and shrubs will also be planted, and street furniture will appear.