Kooi Stadion – construction description

When did the plans to build a new stadium for SC Cambuur originate?

Plans to build a new facility for football club SC Cambuur emerged at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. The first concept for a new stadium in Leeuwarden was presented in November 2013 (the same year the club was promoted to the Eredivisie). The venue was to accommodate 15,000 spectators, and among the most important considerations were the creation of a large amount of commercial space and a focus on sustainability and the use of renewable energy sources.

The site next to the WTC Expo convention and exhibition centre and the Elfstedenhal indoor skating track was identified as the location. SC Cambuur will thus move from the eastern part of the city to the west. The club's existing venue, Cambuurstadion, was built in 1936 and has a capacity of 10,000 spectators. When the new stadium opens, 500 residential units are planned to be built on the site.

The construction of the stadium was to be a joint venture between the development companies Dijkstra Draisma (SC Cambuur's main sponsor) and Wyckerveste (which was to be the main shareholder), with the participation of the club and the city. A company, Stadium Ontwikkeling Cambuur, was established to realise the project. On July 17, 2017, the city council expressed its support for the construction and allocated €4.5 million to support the investment.

What will the new stadium for SC Cambuur be like?

The architectural concept can be seen on our design page of the new SC Cambuur stadium

In 2017, a new vision for the stadium was presented. The project, which was worked on by studio Widdershoven Architecten, called for a football-specific venue for 15,000 spectators, with four free-standing stands on each side of the pitch and lighting masts in the corners. The grandstand was to be covered by a roof with photovoltaic panels.

The facility was planned with a north-south orientation, with the main stand on the west side. The stadium is to feature references to the club's traditions, including details carried over from the old facility. Underneath the stands there will be a large number of commercial premises for rent. Hospitality and catering spaces will be created in the main stand and a meeting place for fans in the northern section. The premises in the south will be occupied by the Firda school.

The additional functions will ensure that the stadium will also be used outside match days. New car parks and supermarkets will be built next to it. The area around the stadium has been named Elfstedenpark (this is the place that was established as the starting point of the famous Elfstedentocht skating race).

The construction of the new stadium will give the club a modern facility with numerous commercial functions. The number of spectator seats will increase by 50% compared to the old stadium. The realisation of the project is expected to strengthen the position of SC Cambuur, whose ambition is to play regularly at Eredivisie level.

What happened before the construction of SC Cambuur's new stadium started?

In November 2020, Wyckerveste withdrew from the project due to concerns over its viability, putting the construction in doubt. However, the construction company Van Wijnen expressed interest in leading the project. The company became the new leader of the project, which was finally confirmed on June 17, 2021, when the City Council granted a €14 million loan to replace the previous support of €4.5 million.

At the same time, it was announced that the tenant for the space in the southern part of the stadium would be the ROC Friese Poort school (from 2023 under the name Firda), which intends to educate 1,000 students at the stadium. In the meantime, the concept for the new stadium was modified. In October 2021, due to rising material prices, the design was trimmed down somewhat, including reducing the roof area by removing sections above the unbuilt corners.

How is the construction of the new SC Cambuur stadium progressing?

On March 15, 2022, the relevant contracts were signed at the future site. On July 7, 2022, a groundbreaking ceremony was organised. With the audience gathered and fireworks shooting, two SC Cambuur fans, the oldest and the youngest season ticket holder, symbolically pressed the button that triggered the driving of the first pile. In fact, the first pile had already been driven into the ground on June 30, with work starting earlier with the clean-up of the construction site.

The stadium was given the working name 'Stadium058'. 058 is the area code for Leeuwarden, often associated with the city, and in addition, in 2022, when construction of the facility began, the club SC Cambuur celebrated its 58th anniversary. On February 1, 2024, the club announced that the title sponsor of the stadium will be Kooi Camerabewaking, and the venue will be named Kooi Stadium.

The facility was planned to be ready for use in the summer of 2023, so that SC Cambuur's players as well as Firda's students could start using it from the 2023/24 season/school year, but in December 2022 it was announced that the stadium would only be ready between December 2023 and spring 2024, while in February 2024 it was conveyed that commissioning is expected in August 2024.