HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The PostFinance-Arena (originally known as Eisstadion Allmend and Bern Arena) is an indoor
arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
in
Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
, Switzerland. It is primarily used for
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
and is the home arena of SC Bern. It was opened in October 1967 and currently accommodates 17,031 people.


Construction

A characteristic of the PostFinance Arena is that it has the world's largest general admission grandstand within an arena, with a capacity of 10,422 bench seats. The main roof comprises glulam arches, tied by steel tension members at their springing points. The maximum span of these arches is 85 metres.


History

The PostFinance Arena was the main arena for the 2009 IIHF World Championships, and had already hosted the inaugural Victoria Cup the previous year. Likewise, in May 2016, the
2016 European Women's Artistic Gymnastics Championships The 31st European Championships in Women's Artistic Gymnastics Seniors and Juniors was held from 1 to 5 June 2016, at the PostFinance-Arena in Bern, Switzerland. It was the first time the city had hosted a major female international competition ...
were held at the arena. PostFinance Arena holds a Europe-wide attendance record, having a 16,203 spectator average in the 2008/2009 season.


Renovation

Due to its age and with an eye towards the 2009 IIHF World Championships, the arena was renovated. The holder invested about CHF 100 million (~$100 million) into the extension and restoration of the building. The modification was finished by April 24, 2009, when the World Championships started. The interior of the arena is mostly unchanged, especially the steep standing room stand, which is very popular with the fans. By rebuilding the two upper stands behind the goals and redesigning the VIP area, around 1,500 additional seats were created; the capacity in the VIP-zone extended by about 500. The previous VIP zone was demolished and integrated into a new five-storey extension. The extension also houses restaurants and the new media area. The total capacity is now 17,031 spectators. The outer shell was clad with cube-like elements that can be illuminated at night to create an atmospheric effect. In addition, the arena's exterior received a new logo that is clearly visible from several sides.


See also

* List of indoor arenas in Switzerland *
List of European ice hockey arenas The following is a list of European ice hockey arenas by capacity. Only those arenas that can accommodate at least 10,000 seating capacity for hockey games and have a stationary ice rink. Outdoor stadiums that have hosted occasional hockey games ...


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Sports venues completed in 1967 Indoor arenas in Switzerland Ice hockey venues in Switzerland Buildings and structures in Bern Sports venues in the Canton of Bern 1967 establishments in Switzerland 20th-century architecture in Switzerland