The Shaktar Donetsk 50,000-seater stadium, the Donbass Arena, designed by Arup, will play host to the opening game in Group D between France and England, as well as several other matches, including the second semi-final. Arup, who played a key role in the design team that produced the €320 million Donbass Arena, will feature alongside the football talents of Ashley Young, Franck Ribery and the rest of the players at this year’s European Football Championships. More images and architects’ description after the break.
According to Burkhard Miehe, the Arup lead structural engineer responsible for the design of the stadium bowl, “Donbass set the standard for all the followers in the Ukraine and Russia. We still get enquiries from other clubs in Eastern Europe referring to Shakhtar as their prime example for excellent stadium design.”
The Donbass stadium is just one of many major stadia commissions for Arup, extending from the City of Manchester Stadium to the Allianz Arena, so the fans will enjoy the atmosphere no matter what the final score.
Architects: Arup Location: Donetsk, Ukraine Capacity: 50,000 Home Team: FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine Opened: August 2009 Cost: €320m Vital Statistics: The stadium is 54m high from pitch level to the top of a roof held up by 3,800 tonnes of steel
