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FC Shakhtar’s new home, the Donbass Arena or the “Jewel in the Park”, is a UEFA five-star stadium set in Leninsky Komosol Park in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Designed by Arup’s specialist sport architects, the stadium reflects the club’s stature as one of the powerhouses of Ukrainian football, alongside Dynamo Kiev.
The first project of its kind in the region, FC Shakhtar’s new home promises to raise the profile of the club, the city of Donetsk and the whole of the Ukraine.
FC Shakhtar’s Arup-designed Donbass Arena has a distinctive jewel-like shape, covered by a 24,000m2 glazed façade which can be lit up at night.
Located in a site of local and national historical significance, the stadium was carefully designed to fit in with the landscape and the development included substantial investment in the surrounding park.
Project Summary
5 star UEFA rating
EURO 2012 championships
50,000spectator's capacity
A dramatic roof
The stadium features a dramatic sloping roof that allows it to sit comfortably in the natural lie of the park. It was designed like this partly as a solution to the geotechnical challenges of site – there are the mines and fault lines locally.
A three-dimensional network of steel elements forms a lightweight and efficient roof structure that appears to float above the building. It slopes from north to south, matching the landscape and increasing natural light and air reaching the pitch. It also incorporates an area of translucent covering that maximises daylight penetration to the grass, allowing for good quality pitch conditions. Airflow, shading and heating for the venue were all designed to create optimal conditions for maintaining the playing surface.
Best possible views
Designed to seat a capacity crowd of 50,000, including media and VIP stands, the stadium will offer spectators the best possible views, thanks to optimised bowl design. To ensure occupant comfort, Arup also incorporated air paths at the top of the first tier to ensure plentiful ventilation during summer months.
The venue’s five-star UEFA rating enables it to host the finals of top sporting competitions, as the semi-final in the 2012 European Football Championships, jointly hosted by the Ukraine and Poland.
Not just alive on match days, the venue is designed to provide a leisure destination for all year round use and legacy benefit to the community. Beside sporting events, the venue will also host concerts and shows, it has several cafes, and a restaurant, as well as a club museum and brand shop.
