Arena Lublin – stadium description

After a series of ideas for a thorough redevelopment of one of the two existing stadiums along Zygmuntowskie Avenue, in 2010 the municipality decided to build a brand new football stadium. Location for it was selected nearby the two other, in the place of former sugar factory.

In 2011 tender procedures were launched, utilizing a rare mode for Polish projects – “design + build”. This means citizens weren’t treated to any visualisations of the stadium until after the procedure, won by Budimex and Estudio Lamela.

The primary version created by architects wasn’t approved by city officials, though. Instead of a more raw and rectangular version the city requested a more rounded and opaque project. Answering these demands, Estudio Lamela suggested covering the stadium with horizontal blinds of varying angle. This way a dynamic “wave” effect was created, opening parts of stands towards the exterior and providing ventilation.

Construction was officially launched in December 2011, but actual works on the stadium itself began a few months later. In the end a slight delay of two months was experienced in delivery, slipping from late June to late August 2014. Cost increase was avoided, which is a rare case among Polish sports project.

The new stadium offers single-tiered stands, topped in the west by a strip of 17 skyboxes. Two of them remain in the city’s use, while 15 others are available for hire. The stand also provides extensive hospitality and office space. Meanwhile on the other side of the stadium potential commercial outlets were created for long-term use in retail or wellness.

Eventually the stadium should boost its anchor tenant Motor Lublin, but various other teams treat it as their secondary retreat, including Lublinianka, Górnik Łęczna or the national youth teams.