Bislett Stadion

Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here. The stadium was demolished in 2004 and construction of a new stadium was completed by the summer of 2005. In 1999, the American sports magazine Sports Illustrated declared that the old Bislett Stadium was one of the top 20 sports venues of the 20th century.

Bislett Stadium lies on the site of a 19th century brick works, which was bought by the Municipality of Kristiania in 1898, and turned into a sports field. Bislett became Norway's main arena for speed skating and track and field in 1940 when the architect Frode Rinnan's new functionalistic stadium was completed, with a capacity of 20,000. Bislett has hosted the Bislett Games since 1965, an annual track and field event in the IAAF Golden League. The venue hosted the Norwegian Athletics Championships 18 times.

Bislett's career as a speed skating venue ended in 1988, when it was decided that ice production would discontinue, even though the stadium did not meet international requirements for any other sport. The stadium was quickly becoming run down and even dangerous, but it would take more than decade of debate and at times harsh bickering before the city council decided that Bislett was to be demolished and rebuilt. Speed skating has increasingly become an indoor sport and providing the famous record breaking ice would no longer be possible if the stadium was to be optimized for athletics and football. The old Bislett was appreciated for its architecture and its atmosphere, not to mention its illustrious record history, and it was perhaps then a fitting gesture that the new stadium was built in record breaking time – construction lasted only ten months. The new stadium designed by Danish architecture practice C. F. Møller Architects was inaugurated with the Bislett Games on July 29, 2005.

The New Bislett Stadium meets international requirements for track and field events. The running track now has eight lanes with a 37,5 m turning radius. The track has received a 1st class certification by the IAAF, shared by only a handful other stadiums in Northern Europe. In addition, there is an indoor running track beneath the stands for warming up and for indoor workouts during the winter, and the construction of an underground sports hall is under consideration. The new turning radius has provided space for a 105 x 68 m football pitch, and the stadium currently meets national requirements for hosting football matches in the Norwegian Premier League.

Source of description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bislett_Stadion wikipedia

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Architect definition of architect Frode Rinnan
Architectural office definition of architectural office C. F. Møller Architects
Style definitin of style Contemporary architecture
Category definition of category stadium
Material definition of material
concrete
grass
Price definition of price
Geographical coordinates 59.9247220, 10.7333330
Address 0168 Oslo, Bislettgata 1
Opening date 1922
More information official website

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