Stadium

The Donbass Arena is the first stadium in Eastern Europe designed and built to UEFA elite standards. It had been conceived long before the Pitmen won the UEFA Cup and Ukraine won the EURO 2012 bid. At the Grand Opening of the arena the FC Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov stated that the idea to build an ultimate stadium for fans in Donetsk had originated 10 years ago. When addressing his compatriots at the ceremony, he said, “Dear friends, the Donbass Arena was built thanks to you. The Donbass Arena was built for you.”

The eye-catching stadium was designed by Arup Sport, which was the creative and inspirational force behind some of the world’s greatest arenas, such as the City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester, England), Allianz Arena stadium (Munich, Germany), the new stadium of Valencia CF (Valencia, Spain), Sydney Football Stadium (Sydney, Australia), Beijing National Stadium (or the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, China) etc. The Donbass Arena’s design is the brain child of Arup’s internationally-renowned British architect, Jay Parrish, and his vision is crystallized in the building’s glazed facade, soaring roof, dramatic lighting scheme and elegant landscaping. The total project budget was USD 400m.

If you want to know more please visit Donbass Arena official website.