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Stadthalle Graz (also known as Graz Messe Arena) is a multi-functional event hall located in Jakomini, a district of
A characteristic element of the facility is the vaulted roof on four pillars, which extends beyond the outline of the arena from the side of the main entrance, also covering the space in front of the entrance and the tram stop located there.
The hall, which can be expanded to a maximum of 20,000 m2 for exhibitions and trade fairs, consists of an upper and a ground floor plus an additional 3,000 m2 foyer space. Depending on the configuration of the 6,500 m2 pillar-free event space, it can accommodate a variable number of guests; the maximum number is 14,520 people (standing only), but in the case of organizing sports competitions, with seating mostly in the grandstands, the capacity is reduced to 5,561 spectators or up to 11,403 when using a standing/seated variant for other events. A terrace and a modern café on the upper floor are available for standing and VIP receptions as well as private events.
The cost of construction amounted to €38.3 million, of which 60% of the amount was covered from the budget of
Graz
Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...
, in Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. Opened in October 2002, the hall is connected to and part of the municipal's fair building complex, Messe Congress Graz. The facility, the largest in Graz, is used to organize various events, including congresses, TV shows, concerts and sport.
Construction
A characteristic element of the facility is the vaulted roof on four pillars, which extends beyond the outline of the arena from the side of the main entrance, also covering the space in front of the entrance and the tram stop located there.
The hall, which can be expanded to a maximum of 20,000 m2 for exhibitions and trade fairs, consists of an upper and a ground floor plus an additional 3,000 m2 foyer space. Depending on the configuration of the 6,500 m2 pillar-free event space, it can accommodate a variable number of guests; the maximum number is 14,520 people (standing only), but in the case of organizing sports competitions, with seating mostly in the grandstands, the capacity is reduced to 5,561 spectators or up to 11,403 when using a standing/seated variant for other events. A terrace and a modern café on the upper floor are available for standing and VIP receptions as well as private events.
The cost of construction amounted to €38.3 million, of which 60% of the amount was covered from the budget of Styria
Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...
, and 40% from the city of Graz. The main architect of the hall was . It was built between April 2000 and the beginning of 2002. New lighting systems and flexible grandstands were installed in 2019.
Immediately adjacent to the venue is the subsequently built exhibition hall by the architects Florian Riegler and Roger Riewe which opened in 2008 and now forms part of the complex.
Events
The Stadthalle was used to host the 2008 World Choir Games, which included hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and awards ceremonies, as well as providing catering and various administrative services during the event. In 2009, it hosted international robotics competitionRoboCup
RoboCup is an annual international robotics competition founded in 1996 by a group of university professors (including Hiroaki Kitano, Manuela M. Veloso, Itsuki Noda and Minoru Asada). The aim of the competition is to promote robotics and AI ...
. It was already a place for numerous productions for example '' Wetten, dass..?''and ''Musikantenstadl
Musikantenstadl is a live television entertainment program broadcast in the German language throughout Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. It features Austrian, Swiss, and German popular folk music (Schlager, Volkstümliche Musik), international p ...
''. On 16 November 2007 and 20 November 2009, TV show and music event '' The Dome'' took place in the hall.
Among the sports events that took place in the hall, the most important was the organization of some group matches of the European Men's Handball Championship
The European Men's Handball Championship is the official competition for senior men's national handball teams of Europe and takes place every two years since 1994, in the even-numbered year between the World Championship. In addition to crowning ...
s in 2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
and 2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
.
See also
* List of indoor arenas in AustriaReferences
External links
* * {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Graz Indoor arenas in Austria Handball venues in Austria Music venues in Austria Sports venues in Styria Sport in Graz Trade fairs in Austria Fairgrounds Tourist attractions in Graz World Choir Games venue Sports venues completed in 2002 2002 establishments in Austria 21st-century architecture in Austria