Dutch Version

This Page is visited times

Sign My Guestbook View My Guestbook

EVERYTHING ABOUT GELREDOME

March the 25th 1998: Gelredome opens it's doors for the rest of the world. Since the opening, Gelredome has been the center of entertainment movement. More often giant Corporations and Worldartists found their way to Gelredome. That's the proof that Gelredome and Arnhem have become International widely known acquaintances.

Gelredome is everybody's Home

What's Gelredome ?

Gelredome is the Stadium with the famous unique extendable pitch.

Gelredome is therefore the most unique and modern stadium of the world.

Management Gelredome

Founders Gelredome

• The Doen Foundation of the Dutch National Postcode Lotery
• Bavaria beer
• SBV Vitesse football club
• K & B Events International
• OHRA insurances
• NUON Energy & Water
• Hago Netherlands
• Martinair Partyservice
• Buildingcombination Gelders Stadium vof:
• HBM, BAM de Kinkelder, Bruil Building and Nelissen van Egteren Building

Picture of the West tribune taken from the East tribune

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Total investment: NLG 160 million
• Investment in the enviromental concept: NLG 35 million
• Height: 42.8 m
• Length: 207.5 m
• Breadth: 168.5 m
• Seating capacity: 26,600
• Total capacity: 32,500
• Boxes: 49
• Sky boxes: 24
• Business seats: 824
• Press seating: 80
• Wheelchairplaces: 100
• Bucket seats: recycled plastic
• Piles: 850 (14 m long)
• Foundation: 3,800 cubic metres of concrete
• Steel constructions: 3,705 tons
• Moveable roof: 800 tons
• Extendable pitch: 11,000 tons
• Sliding speed of the grass tray: 90 cm per minute
• Supporting columns for grass tray: 384
• Slide bearings for grass tray: 4,384 running metres
• Gelredome conference centre: 2,000 square metres
• Urinals: 227
• Men's toilets: 101
• Women's toilets: 193
• Disabled toilets: 8
• Food and drink outlets: 30
• Solar collectors: 600,000 showers per year
• PV solar cells: 4,000 low-energy lamps per year
• Saving on natural gas: annual consumption of 70 households
• Shuttle buses: 6 boarding places
• Parking places at the Gelredome: 4,000
• Stewards: 1,000

Picture of the West tribune taken from the South tribune

UEFA:

"Gelredome is the most important step in the development of large-scale multi-purpose sports complexes since the Colosseum was built."

Ernie Walker, Stadium Committee of the UEFA

History of the Gelredome

Spring 1986

• Karel Aalbers presents the outlines of the new Vitesse. A modern stadium plays a crucial role here.

End of 1986

• The renovation plan for the Monnikenhuize stadium is rejected by the local authority.

Mid 1987

• First plans for construction of new stadium.

Autumn 1987

• Arnhem local authority will not give permission for the new stadium.

1988

• Vitesse management goes abroad to look for a solution. In America, they are persuaded by the covered, multifunctional concept.

End of 1988

• Presentation of the Eurodrome, the first multifunctional stadium in Europe. The German architect Joseph Wund and merketer Rudiger Schmitz support Karel Aalbers in the further development.

Beginning of 1989

• The province of Gelderland and the Arnhem local authority support the plans and promise financial backing.
• Negotiations in The Hague - the Ministry of Economic Affairs awards investment grant of NLG 7.5 million.
• Akzo chairman Loudon agrees to the name suggested by karel Aalbers for 15 years. Realisation appears close at hand. The Eurodrome becomes the Akzodrome.
• Mr. Wund is unexpectedly unable to come up with the funding.
• Leisure Management International from Houston, USA expresses an interest in managing the complex.
• Eighty business-people and politicians visit the Astrodome and the Summit, two covered domes in Houston, and are persuaded by the concept.
• In four weeks, fifteen companies sign agreements to hire boxes.
• Philip Holzmann AG, Europe's largest constuction company, promises Karel Aalbers that it will build the multifunctional stadium.
• Philip Holzmann develops plans for six domes in Europe.
• Karel Aalbers advises Holzmann in its European plans and futher develops the marketing concept.

End of 1993

• Council of State postpones decision about license.

Early 1994

• Karel Aalbers contacts Sanders of HBG following signals from Germany about financing problems because of the postponement by the Counsil of State.

Summer 1994

• HBG investigates whether it can take over the Holzmann plans. The province and local authority promise support.

Summer 1994

• Akzo-Nobel is prepared to step aside and let the stadium take the name of the province.

October 1994

• Karel Aalbers reaches agreement with Holzmann about take-over rights to the plans.
• The steering group 'Het Gelders Stadion' is formed, compromising prominent representatives of business in the province.

October 1995

• Karel Aalbers reaches agreement with eight founders.

November 1995

• Financing for new stadium arranged.

1996

• Building contract signed.
• Site prepared for building.
• Land officially released by the local authority.

12 July

• First pile driven.
• Founders published.
• Definitive name of the stadium is the 'Gelredome'.

9 October

• Contours of the Gelredome become visible.

1997

1 january

• Karel Aalbers and Hans Schraders appointed statutory directors of the Gelredome.

19 May

• Grass sown.

3 June

• Vitesse stewards experience the Gelredome for the first time.

9 June

• Transferium contracts signed.

24 June

• Ten thousandth visitor to the Gelredome (Farzat Rashedi, 12 years old).

3 July

• Roof put into position.

12 August

• Roof covered.

14 August

• First wedding in the Gelredome.

13 September

• Plastic garden furniture collection for the Bennet bucket seats.

20 September

• First information meeting for season ticket holders in the Gelredome.

24 November

• First training on the grass pitch, outside the stadium.

24 December

• Oostnet (Connexxion) presents mobility concept.

1998

7 January

• The Gelredome slide-out pitch sticks fast.

22 January

• Slide-out pitch moving again.

24 February

• First Vitesse training on pitch inside the stadium.

15 March

• First of three try-outs.

25 March

• Official opening of the Gelredome. First competitive match, Vitesse-NAC