“Experience emotions” is the motto of the EURO 2008 soccer championships, which kick off in Switzerland and Austria on June 7. Among the EURO 2008 cities is Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. And the capital of the Austrian state of Carinthia has made a major contribution to EURO 2008: A modern arena that holds as many as 30,000 spectators has been built in the suburb of Weidmannsdorf.

The planners of the arena attached particular significance to the right mixture of design and functionality. In line with this objective the architecture firm Wimmer designed a stadium that has an appealing appearance and is state-of-the-art in terms of its technology. The use of glass and natural light plays a decisive role in this respect.

Challenge: Direct sunlight
In particular the west façade of the stadium is decorated with panorama windows that ensure that the rooms behind are filled with natural light. However: If the afternoon sun is low in the sky, the spectators’ fun can be spoilt by unpleasant dazzle – just at the time when the majority of matches will be kicking off. The solution from the architects is intelligent sun protection: Motorized venetian blinds on the outside ensure effective shading right when it is needed.

Reliable drives for perfect operation
900 square meters of self-supporting sun protection has to be moved – this corresponds to the area taken up by about fifty soccer goals. The required electrical drives were supplied by the German manufacturer elero. 120 elero drives of the type JA 05 Soft and 54 drives from the JA 09 Soft series are used on the façade of Wörthersee Stadium. The drives are characterized, among other things, by their magnetic “Soft” brake, which operates silently and without any wear and tear. Uncomplicated installation and adjustment of the drives is ensured as they are fitted ex works with easily accessible latch-down limit switches.

See clearly – Experience emotions
Lots of little details at Klagenfurt’s stadium contribute to ensuring this construction project is perceived as a sporting experience for the spectators: In line with the motto “experience emotions”, while things might get heated on the pitch, thanks to intelligent technology pleasant lighting conditions are guaranteed in the stadium. Thus, there is nothing to get in the way of unadulterated viewing pleasure. There is very little one can add to the greeting by the mayor of Klagenfurt, Harald Scheucher: “Awaiting you is a hospitable, lively and attractive city with a sports-loving population and a beautiful new stadium.”