Groupama Arena wins prestigious international recognition

Groupama Arena, the new football stadium which is the home to the most famous Hungarian football club Ferencvárosi TC, won a prestigious international award on 10 June 2015 in Barcelona. The stadium, which was inaugurated last summer, received the best new venue award at The Stadium Business Awards, index.hu reported.

The Stadium Business Awards are the only awards to recognise a whole spectrum of achievements from across the global stadium industry. Hundreds of nominations were whittled down to create the shortlist, for which some were voted for by the industry, and others judged by an independent panel of industry experts.

There were twenty-four nominees in the best new venue category, which nominees were finally shortlisted to the best six stadiums including San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, Singapore Sports Hub, Otkritiye Arena in Moscow, Allianz Parque in Brazil, Bilbao’s San Mamés, and the winner, Groupama Arena.

The awards ceremony took place during The Stadium Business Summit at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, in front of an audience of senior industry figures.

“Congratulations to everyone who reached the podium,” said Ian Nuttall, founder of The Stadium Business Awards. “Winners included our industry’s leaders, achievers and stand-out venues, who should all be very proud of their achievements,” he added.

Balázs Fürjes, the government commissioner responsible for priority investments in Budapest, told MTI that the award proved that the thorough study of international examples before construction was worth doing, since Groupama Arena had become more than a stadium as a result.

He also noted that the venue has hosted several conferences and other events unrelated to sport since its completion, which prove its sustainability. The stadium also positively contributes to Budapest’s architectural character, and it also hosts the Hungarian national team’s matches until the new Puskás Ferenc Stadium is completed, he added.

Talking about the international recognition, Pál Orosz, chief director of Ferencvárosi TC, said that it was an enormous pride for the club that our home has received such a prestigious award. He also emphasized that as the stadium was built based on Hungarian construction plans, the award is a great honour not only for the club, but also for the whole country.

based on the article of index.hu
translated by Gábor Hajnal

Source: index.hu