NBBJ, along with Norwegian architects LINK signatur AS and Multiconsult won a design competition for the Valerenga Football Club’s new stadium in Oslo, Norway. You can see more images and architect’s description after the break.
Winning a design competition for the Valerenga Football Club’s new stadium, the team of NBBJ / Link-Signatur / Multiconsult designed a 22,000 seat facility in addition to the Master Plan for the overall site: stadium, public amenities and up to 100,000 square meters of commercial development. The stadium was designed with the ability to expand to 35,000 seats in the event of a successful bid to hold European League matches in Norway and is designed as such to meet UEFA standards.
Since the stadium will not be initially fully built out, the new VIF stadium was designed as efficiently and cost effectively as possible for the initial capacity of 22,000 seats. There are only few additional program elements in the building (offices, meeting rooms) other than the main football event functions (VIP suites and a restaurant), so the design minimizes the outer building to enclose only portions of the building that house those activities. Thus, the building envelope is kept quite tight to the initial seating bowl configuration in its first iteration, keeping costs low.
The structural system will accommodate the addition weight/elements required for an expansion, and the roof is designed to be reused rather than replaced in the event of an expansion–it lifts straight up (on the extended structural members) to accommodate the new height and elements relative to the enclosure expansion. The upper level of seating–with the capacity for 13,000 more seats–will be added above the main concourse; the necessary building elevations will simply be expanded upward to enclose the additional seating and amenities.
Architecturally, the overall stadium shape has an exciting minimalist expression that keeps within the client’s controlled budget. Seen from ground level, the innovative metal and glass skin creates a very attractive and unique architectural statement; the facades have a transparency that allows the interior colors and lights to be seen from the outside. The evening images of the stadium are likewise tremendously vibrant and successful.
