Atatürk Olympic Stadium
| Atatürk Olympic Stadium | |
|---|---|
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| Full name | Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı |
| Location | Başakşehir, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Broke ground | 28 November 1997[1] |
| Built | 1997–2002 |
| Opened | 31 July 2002 |
| Renovated | 2005 |
| Owner | Republic of Turkey |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | yes |
| Construction cost | $140 million ($179 million in 2013 dollars[2])[3] |
| Architect | Michel Macary Aymeric Zublena |
| Capacity | 80,597 (2002–2005) 76,092 (2005–present)[4] |
| Executive suites | 34 |
| Record attendance | 79,414 (Galatasaray - Olympiacos, 31 July 2002) |
| Field dimensions | 105 x 68 m |
| Tenants | |
| Istanbul BB (2007–present) Galatasaray S.K. (2003–2004) Turkey national football team |
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Atatürk Olympic Stadium (Turkish: Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı) located in İkitelli, a district in the western outskirts of Istanbul, is the largest-capacity stadium of Turkey. The stadium is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. Its construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2002. It was built for Turkey's failed bid for the 2008 Olympic Games that were ultimately awarded to Beijing. It cost about 140 million USD.[5]
With its 76,092 (all-seater) capacity and Olympic size, it was granted the "5-star sports complex" title by the UEFA in 2004, enabling it to host the finals of UEFA events. The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final between A.C. Milan and Liverpool F.C. was played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium on 25 May 2005. The stadium is also certified by the IAAF and IOC as a first-class venue for track and field, and has hosted several European athletic competitions.
Galatasaray SK played its home games at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium during the 2003–2004 football season, due to the renovation of their own venue, the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, and this was criticized by other teams. Galatasaray eventually returned to Ali Sami Yen for the 2004–2005 season, but played 2006–2007 UEFA Champions League group stage matches at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Sivasspor also played some of its Süper Lig home games at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium due to the bad weather conditions in their original hometown stadium. Istanbul BB, also of the Süper Lig, play all their home games in the venue.
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Design and construction[edit]
Istanbul Atatürk Olympic Stadium was originally conceived for the city's 2008 Olympic Games bid.
The stadium's two steel roofs (weighing 2,800 t and 1,300 t) were produced by Tekfen's Steel Structure Fabrication Plant in Ceyhan, Adana. The west roof, designed in the form of a crescent and principally composed of a 1,000 t main beam called mega-truss, is supported by two reinforced concrete shafts with 196 m span.
With its 134 entrances and 148 exit gates, the Olympic Stadium allows 80,000 spectators to evacuate within 7.5 minutes, in case of an emergency. Two annex fields ( for warm up / training purposes) are connected directly to the Olympic Stadium with an underground tunnel.
The Olympic Stadium's technical infrastructure and design ensure optimal visibility from all stands; a homogeneous sound level (102 decibels) with modern speaker systems, and a 1,400 lux illumination covering all areas of the stadium.
A 42,200 m2 commercial center is situated under the west roof, with a front facade length of 450 m and a total of 6 floors (3 floors below ground level.)
Facts[6][edit]
- Excavation & Backfilling: 3,700,000 m3
- Micropiles: 2,240 units
- Concrete (cast in-situ): 60,000 m3
- Concrete (precast): 11,000 m3
- Reinforcement: 7,400 t
- Prestressing & Cable Stays: 40 t
- Steel Structures: 5,400 t
- Roofing & Cladding: 52,000 m2
- Pavement: 90,000 m2
- 42,200 m2 commercial / facility building,
- Amphi-theatre with 300 seats capacity,
- Two elevated car parks with total capacity of 400 vehicles,
- 36 private-view lodges each fully equipped with a TV set, meeting table, comfortable arm chair(s) and a (drink / snack) bar with high bar stools,
- Each zone has its own access points, refreshment, first-aid and toilet facilities,
- All zone separators comply with the latest international safety standards.
Renovation[edit]
2005 UEFA Champions League Final[edit]
From 2002 to 2005 the stadium had a capacity of 80,597 (all-seater). This was later reduced to 76,092 (all-seater) by removing the seats from where it was not possible to see the entire pitch, prior to the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final game between AC Milan and Liverpool FC, which was played on 25 May 2005.
UEFA Euro 2016 plans[edit]
To meet all requirements of the UEFA for being able to organize the Euro 2016 football championship, the authorities will undertake major reconstruction works on this stadium starting from early 2011. Increasing the stadium's capacity will enable over 90,000 spectators to enjoy the matches of the UEFA Euro 2016 in what will become the world's largest stadium with every seat under cover. To increase the net and gross capacity to 81,106 and 90,115 respectively, the pitch will be lowered by 2.15 metres. In order to provide better convenience for the VIP guests and the media, all existing hospitality areas at levels 3 and 4 will be extended. Furthermore, 12 new boxes will be added to the west stand and 32 to the east stand in order to add to the current number of 36 skyboxes; this will provide a total of 80 skyboxes after the reconstruction.[7]
Concerts[edit]
U2 360° Tour[edit]
On 6 September 2010, the renowned Irish rock band U2 gave a concert at the stadium which reportedly attracted over 55,000 fans, as a part of their U2 360° Tour, the opening act of which was performed by the group Snow Patrol.[8]
Records[edit]
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79,414 | 31 July 2002 | Galatasaray SK – Olympiacos CFP |
| 2 | 72,059[9] | 25 May 2005 | AC Milan – Liverpool FC |
| 3 | 71,334 | 27 September 2003 | Galatasaray SK – Fenerbahçe SK |
| 4 | 71,230 | 12 September 2006 | Galatasaray SK – FC Girondins de Bordeaux |
| 5 | 66,300 | 30 August 2003 | Galatasaray SK – PFC CSKA |
| 6 | 62,620 | 9 August 2003 | Galatasaray SK – Diyarbakırspor |
| 7 | 58,617 | 30 September 2003 | Galatasaray SK – Real Sociedad |
| 8 | 54,278 | 6 September 2010 | U2 360° Tour |
| 9 | 51,714 | 18 October 2006 | Galatasaray SK – PSV Eindhoven |
| 10 | 47,682 | 4 April 2004 | Galatasaray SK – Beşiktaş J.K |
References[edit]
- ^ Tekfen Construction
- ^ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2012. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
- ^ Tekfen Construction
- ^ Turkish Football Federation (TFF)
- ^ Tekfen Construction
- ^ Tekfen Construction
- ^ Official website for Turkey's Euro 2016 bid: The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul
- ^ "U2'dan unutulmaz konser". Sabah (in Turkish). 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
- ^ Istanbul 2020 Olympc bid book Istanbul 2020 Olympc bid book
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Atatürk Olympic Stadium |
| Preceded by Arena AufSchalke Gelsenkirchen |
UEFA Champions League Final Venue 2005 |
Succeeded by Stade de France St-Denis |
Coordinates: 41°04′28.10″N 28°45′56.53″E / 41.0744722°N 28.7657028°E
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