New arena for sports events, concerts & co.

Events hall in Zagreb installed with GROHE fittings

When on 1st February 2009 the final whistle sounded and the French national team were able to celebrate their victory in the World Handball Championship, Arena Zagreb had passed its first major challenge. In just 503 days the sports complex had been built specifically for the major sporting event in Croatia. A challenge for the project planners and architects in charge. The outcome is a highly modern multi-function hall which has been thought out to the very last detail both visually and functionally. This begins with the visionary suspended roof structure and ends with the selection of high quality GROHE fittings for the bathrooms and washrooms.

UPI-2M architects received only a few specifications for the planning of the hall. A venue for the World Handball Championship 2009 should be created – and as fast as possible. But after an indepth analysis it quickly became clear to the team of architect Stancic Brcic: An arena of this scale cannot be run profitably with sports events alone. So other options for use are incorporated into the planning of the hall. It was fitted out for handball and basketball matches as well as for conventions and exhibitions or rock and pop concerts.

Its eye-catching visual appearance has already brought it the title “New Zagreb landmark” and “Symbol for the new Zagreb” just weeks after completion. 86 curved concrete columns form the shell of the hall and provide the building with light and transparent character. Between the “ribs” are the entrances which depending on the event up to 20,000 visitors pour through. At the top end of the columns steel cables are fixed to carry the roof structure with a span width of 104 meters. The cables, developed to the latest findings, are only 66 millimetres thick, but can carry up to 400 tons in weight. A transparent plastic strip runs above the entrances, which gives the facade of the building its special visual appearance, especially at night, through a variety of possible light effects.

In planning the interior of the hall flexibility was the top priority. Thus the lower part of the stands was fitted with a telescope system. It enables 4,500 seats to be retracted – especially practical when a concert with a standing area follows a game of handball. If several small events are coming up, individual areas can be partitioned and simultaneously used for different purposes. Backstage its diverse usability also played a crucial part in the planning. There are team changing rooms for athletes as well as individual dressing rooms for musicians and other artists.

High quality fittings in the sanitary areas to withstand frequent use, is an absolute must for venues in this category. This also applies to the sanitary fittings. They must be resilient and durable and also endure vandalism for instance. At the same time they should have an attractive design. “GROHE was chosen to take on this responsibility as our products are ideally adapted for use in public and commercial buildings", states Daniel Popovic, Project Manager at GROHE in Croatia. “They are not only robust, but thanks to flow restrictors also particularly economical in water consumption."

Zagreb’s new landmark was fitted with over 250 products from the leading global brand for sanitary fittings. For example, with the washstand fitting Eurosmart and the shower head Relexa. Eurosmart stands for timeless stylistic language as well as durable technology and is excellently suited for frequently used washing facilities. Relexa is one of the classics in the GROHE range of shower heads and combines attractive visuals with high functionality – perfect for sports washrooms and artists changing rooms. In the guest bathrooms of the exclusive VIP boxes Atrio was selected - a very elegant product from GROHE. The new version of single-lever mixer in this line was used. Through purist design with the high bow shaped spout the fitting creates an especially stylish unit along with rounded washstand. (The Atrio design variant with the fitted arching spout is not available in Germany.)

It is not just handball fans who appreciate the attractive architecture and the sophisticated fittings of the new event hall. Artists like Beyoncé, Depeche Mode or Eros Ramazotti have also placed the new arena on their tour calendar. So Zagreb has gained a centre of attraction that lures sport and culture enthusiasts from all over the region into the Croatian capital.


08.05.2009

For further information please contact:
Dr. Ulrike Heuser-Greipl
Vice President Public & Investor Relations
Press Officer
Telephone: +49 (0) 211 9130 – 3001
E-mail: ulrike.heuser-greipl@grohe.com
Grohe Holding GmbH
Feldmühleplatz 15
40545 Düsseldorf
Germany



Arena_Zagreb_INTERNATIONAL_dt_08.05.09.doc (121.00 KB)
Arena_Zagreb_INTERNATIONAL_engl_08.05.09.doc (121.00 KB)