12 stadiums of the Russian World Cup

We tell you how each of the 2018 World Cup arenas will be

BY GIOVANNA MARADEI

Casa Vogue wanted you to know what the stadiums will look like for the games of the most important soccer competition in the world. Now, you check out the history and inspirations for each of the 12 arenas we will see during the competition.

1. Mordovia Arena (Saransk)

The Mordovia Arena began to be built in 2010. With the first project developed by the German Tim Hupe and the final project signed by the Russians SaranskGrazhdanProekt, the stadium was designed in oval form with a range of vibrant colors in orange, red and white. During the Russian Cup 2018, the stadium will have capacity for 44 thousand people, number that will be reduced to 25 thousand after the event. All to make the arena more efficient, capable of being used also for volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, as well as gyms.

2. Kaliningrad Stadium (Kaliningrad)

The Kaliningrad Stadium was built on Oktyabrsky Island in the heart of Kaliningrad and is signed by Wilmotte & Associés SA. The multipurpose venue should host, besides football matches, different sporting events and, of course, great shows. To complete, after the World Cup, the surroundings of the arena will receive a new residential project, with parks, quays and embankments along the river Pregola.

3. Volgograd Arena (Volgograd)

The Volgograd Arena was built on the site of the Central Stadium and is signed by the Russian PI Arena office, GMP Architekten and the construction company Stroytrangaz. Its façade takes the form of an inverted cone with an open truss structure reminiscent of a bicycle wheel. After Russia 2018, the stadium will be home to FC Rotor, who in the past finished in the top three in the Russian championship.

4. Central Stadium (Yekaterinburg)

Home to one of the oldest football clubs in the country, FC Ural, the Ecaterimbrugo stadium was originally built in 1953. Since then it has been remodeled several times, the last of which for the 2018 FIFA World Cup when it won bleachers extras – which function as an extension of the originals, to enter within the FIFA standard. The historical façade, as well as other architectural and decorative features of the stands, typical of Soviet neoclassicism, were maintained.

5. Olympic Stadium of Fisht (Sóchi)

Located at the Olympic Park in the Imeretin Valley in Sochi, Fisht Stadium, signed by the Populous office, was built for the 2014 Winter Olympics and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the event. Designed by British architects, the arena resembles a snow-covered mountain peak, design that matches its name, Mount Fisht, a peak in the Caucasus mountain range.

6. Kazan Arena (Kazan)

The Kazan Arena was built for the Summer World University Games in 2013, when it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. A football field was installed as soon as the games were over. Designed by the architects of Wembley Stadium and Emirates Stadium (from the Populous office), the arena, when viewed from above, resembles a lotus flower and in addition to football matches and sporting events, the stadium will host a series of entertainment shows, shows and cultural events.

7. Níjni Novgorod Stadium (Níjni Novgorod)

The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, designed by Stroytransgaz, was built at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, near the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. With design inspired by aspects of nature, its light structure is composed of thin triangular supports arranged in a circle. The building is still surrounded by a walkway connected by sloping stairs at a tangent, highlighting the flow of the stadium.

8. Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow)

The main stadium of Russia 2018 was originally built to host the first summer Spartakiad across the country in 1956 and will now host the opening and the final of the World Cup. Originally designed by Igor Rozhin, Oleksandr Fedorovych Khryakov and Nikolay Ullas, the stadium was renovated in 2013 with a special effort to preserve its historical façade which has become one of the true landmarks of Moscow.

9. Samara Stadium

A Arena Samara, projetada por TerrNIIgrazhdanproekt, GMP Architekten e AECOM, começou a ser construída oficialmente em 21 de julho de 2014. Inspirada no espaço, o estádio faz homenagem às tradições da região e ao seu renomado setor aeroespacial. Com uma cobertura de 60 metros de altura, o estádio ostenta uma estrutura leve e metálica que será iluminada durante a noite, enfatizando o design expressivo do estádio.

10. Rostov Arena (Don Rostov)

The Rostov Arena, housed by the Populous office, is situated on the left bank of the River Don and seems to merge with the picturesque landscape of the region. The shape of the roof, for example, imitates the curves of the river and the different heights of the stands allow the spectators to admire not only what is happening on the pitch but also the views of Rostov-on-Don.

11. Arena Otkrytie (Moscow)

With a façade reminiscent of a network of small diamonds, the arena signed by Dexter Moren belongs to the traditional Spartak and has a changeable façade that can be changed depending on which team is playing. For Spartak games, the arena is bathed in red and white, for example.

12. Krestovsky Stadium (St. Petersburg)

Built by renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurosawa, the stadium was thought to look like a real spacecraft that landed on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Recognized as one of the most modern arenas in the world, it also has a retractable roof and a sliding lawn and is capable of hosting any type of event at any time of the year keeping the stadium temperature at 15 °C.

Available in: https://casavogue.globo.com/Arquitetura/noticia/2018/05/conheca-os-12-estadios-da-copa-do-mundo-da-russia.html. Accessed in: 06/14/2018.