Stadion Hutnika Warszawa – stadium description

How did the redevelopment of Hutnik Warszawa's facilities happen?

In 2016, Warsaw councillors voted to allocate PLN 16.6 million for the modernisation of the badly neglected Hutnik Warszawa stadium. In the summer of 2017, the Capital Sports Centre Active Warsaw (Stołeczne Centrum Sportu Aktywna Warszawa), which manages the facility, launched a tender for the construction  design of the redevelopment of the stadium and the entire centre around it. In 2018, the architectural concept by PIG Architekci studio was made public.

The first tender for the construction was announced at the end of 2018. As the lowest bids (around PLN 40 million) significantly exceeded the investor's expectations (around PLN 15 million), the first tenders were voided. In March 2019, the City Council approved an increase in funding for the modernisation of the Hutnik facilities. The contractor (a consortium of Interhall and Gardenia Sport) was finally selected in June 2019.

How did the redevelopment of the Hutnik Centre proceed?

The signing of the contract and the start of work took place in August 2019, with the redeveloped complex due to be ready in November 2020, with a contract value of PLN 41.8 million. However, construction suffered delays and the contractors requested a postponement of the commissioning date, citing problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of the project rose to around PLN 48 million at the end.

When was the new Hutnik Warszawa stadium opened?

The new stadium opened after two years of construction, on August 25, 2021. A family picnic with various attractions and a tournament for children from Warsaw's football academies was organised for the inauguration. Among those present at the opening were the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, the President of the Polish Football Association, Cezary Kulesza, former coach Andrzej Strejlau and tennis player Mariusz Fyrstenberg. At the end, a match was played between the Local Government Team and the Warsaw Football Stars Team (2:7).

For whom is the new stadium in Warsaw's Bielany district intended?

The new stadium is obviously hosted by the Hutnik Warszawa team, which played its first match there just three days after the opening. However, the facility is also open to other clubs and entities. In March 2022, the KTS Weszło team led by journalist Krzysztof Stanowski moved into the stadium and became famous for, among other things, raising PLN 4.5 million in 90 minutes through the sale of shares.

What does the new Hutnik Warszawa stadium look like?

The pitch of the new stadium is located in the same place as the previous one. However, the facility has been given a completely new look after the redevelopment. After the demolition of the earth embankments, its athletic layout was eliminated. Two new covered stands were erected on either side of the pitch. Under the stands, there are sanitary facilities and changing rooms (for players, coaches and referees), administrative, security, storage and technical rooms, a conference area, as well as toilets.

The benches for substitute players are located at the west stand, which also has seats for the press and VIPs. The stadium's pitch is equipped with a drainage system and turf heating. Four lighting masts have been erected on the sides of the stands, providing light with an intensity of 500 lux. The capacity of the stadium is 1,328 spectators. The facility is suitable for matches in the Third Division at most.

Particular attention was paid to the colour scheme of the stands, which refers to Hutnik's club colours of orange and black. The construction of the stands is made of coloured concrete - orange on the west stand and black on the west side. The colour of the concrete also follows the colour of the seats, while in contrast the 'orange' west stand is covered with a black roof and the 'black' west stand with an orange roof.

What is in the surroundings of the Hutnik Warszawa stadium?

The entire surroundings of the stadium were also remodelled The two training pitches in the vicinity received a new synthetic surface. The surface of the tennis courts was also renovated. Both the courts and the training pitches have been prepared for the installation of a seasonal air supported structure (known as a balloon), allowing the facilities to be used in convenient conditions during the winter.

The pitches and courts have been supplemented with container changing rooms and sanitary facilities, floodlighting, football safety nets and the necessary equipment. A mobile stand with 120 seats is assigned to the training pitches. The scope of work also included the construction of roads, footpaths, car parks, greenery, landscaping, site lighting, CCTV, sound systems, fencing and underground infrastructure.