Spodek

Spodek

The Spodek Arena after renovation
Address	Aleja Korfantego 35, 40-005
Location	Katowice, Poland
Coordinates	50°15′58″N 19°01′31″E / 50.26611°N 19.02528°E / 50.26611; 19.02528
Public transit	Katowice Spodek zł
Architect	Maciej Gintowt & Maciej Krasiński from Biuro Studiów i Projektów Typowych Budownictwa Przemysłowego (Warsaw)
Structural engineer	Wacław Zalewski
General contractor	Andrzej Żórawski
Website
www.spodekkatowice.pl

Spodek is a multipurpose arena complex in Katowice, Poland, opened on 9 May 1971. Aside from the main dome, the complex includes a gym, an ice rink, a hotel and three large car parks. It was the largest indoor venue of its kind in Poland until it was surpassed by Tauron Arena in 2014.

The Spodek hosts many important cultural and business events. Music concerts are especially common non-sport events. It can hold around 11,500 people, although this number is in practice limited to 10,000 or even 8,000 due to stage set-ups obscuring the view.

Its Polish name refers to a

The idea of building a large venue originated in 1955, while Katowice was temporarily renamed Stalinogród. A contest was held to select the best design. Initially, it was to be constructed on the outskirts of town, but the Voivodeship National Council decided it should be built near the city center. A mining waste dump site classified "2A" was chosen for construction.

The classification "2A" indicated medium mining damage with a possibility of local cave-ins. While excavating the foundations, the workers dug through coal instead of soil. Soon after construction began, rumors of design flaws in the new building spread, including the rumour that the dome would collapse when the scaffolding was removed. Because of this, in 1964, construction was halted for 18 months. Spodek's architects and chief engineers were present in the dome when the supports were dismantled as a statement against those rumors. Before opening the building to the public, as an endurance test, 3,500 soldiers marched throughout the hall; the vibration measurement was positive.

Technology

Architects Maciej Gintowt and Maciej Krasiński designed the Spodek to employ the principle of tensegrity, as one of the first major structures to do so. For the roof they used an inclined surface held in check by a system of cables holding up its circumference.^[4]

The structural engineer who conceived the unique tensegrity roof and made it work was

• IEM Katowice 2019, IEM Katowice 2022
• Blaze Bayley (of Iron Maiden and Wolfsbane) recorded his Alive in Poland DVD at Spodek in 2007
• Deep Purple recorded their Live Encounters DVD at Spodek in 1996
• 6/16/00 - Katowice, Poland
  albums at Spodek
• Adore
  was taken in Katowice after a concert in Spodek
• The band Hey recorded their 1994 Hey Live! album at Spodek.
• The arena held the final rounds of the EuroBasket 2009.^[5]
• FIVB Volleyball World League Final Round 2001 & 2007
• EuroBasket Women 2011
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2014
• 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2015
• 2016 European Men's Handball Championship
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2016
• 2016 IIHF World Championship Division IA
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2017
• The WTA Tour BNP Paribas Katowice Open, a professional women's tennis tournament, was held at Spodek between 2013–2016
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2018
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2019 CS:GO Major
• 2019 BWF World Senior Championships
• Intel Extreme Masters World Championship 2020
• 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship
• 2023 World Men's Handball Championship
• EuroBasket 2025
• 2026 European Women's Handball Championship
• Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2024
• 2031 World Women's Handball Championship

Gallery

• 
  Spodek's interior during Intel Extreme Masters Katowice, 2015
• 
  Night illumination of the façade
• 
  Spodek and the Katowice city centre at night
• 
  Spodek seen from NOSPR bridge

See also

• List of indoor arenas in Poland
• Supersam Warsaw
• Sport in Poland

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spodek.

• Official website (in Polish)
• Aerial view of the complex and depictions and descriptions of its interior (in Polish)
• Pictures of Spodek construction
• Aerial views