Sweden will soon open a brand new 50,000-seater national stadium. The Swedbank Arena currently is in an advanced stage of construction and is scheduled to open on the 27th of October this year.
The new arena will replace a stadium with great tradition, the Råsunda Stadion – host of the 1958 World Cup final -, which is set to be demolished after.
The Swedbank Arena is being constructed in Solna, a northern suburb of Stockholm, less than a kilometre away from Råsunda Stadion. The stadium site is bordered by a series of railway tracks and a park, not far from Solna rail station.
The arena is designed by Swedish architecture firm Krook & Tjäder in cooperation with Populous. It comes at a cost of SEK 2 billion (€300 million).
The multifunctional arena will have a capacity of 50,000 for football matches and will be equipped with a retractable roof. Construction began late 2009, and is currently in an advanced stage with the basic framework of stands, exterior and roof seemingly completed.
The first match at the stadium will be a friendly between the Swedish and English national teams, to be played on the 14th of November 2012. After that local club AIK will move into the stadium to make it their home.
Photos & renders: © Sweden Arena Management