Zetra Olympic Hall, Sarajevo

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Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic Hall
Zetra
Sarajevo Zetra Hall.jpg
Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic Hall in March 2017.
Former namesZetra Olympic Hall
LocationAlipašina, Koševo, Centar, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates43°52′18.5″N 18°24′34.4″E / 43.871806°N 18.409556°E / 43.871806; 18.409556Coordinates: 43°52′18.5″N 18°24′34.4″E / 43.871806°N 18.409556°E / 43.871806; 18.409556
OwnerSarajevo Canton
OperatorZOI '84 organization
Capacity12,000 (18,000 for concerts)
SurfaceVersatile
Construction
Broke groundJune 1981
OpenedFebruary 14, 1982
Renovated1999
Construction cost€ 16.4 million (1999 renovation)
ArchitectLidumil Alikalfić
Dušan Đapa
Tenants
Bosnia and Herzegovina men's national handball team
Bosnia and Herzegovina national futsal team
Bosnia and Herzegovina national ice hockey team
2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival

The Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic Hall (Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: Olimpijska dvorana Juan Antonio Samaranch / Олимпијска дворана Хуан Антонио Самаран; formerly Zetra Olympic Hall[1]) is an indoor multi-purpose arena in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Named in honor of Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2010 after his death, it was used for various sporting events at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and as the main venue of the 2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival.

History[]

The building of the complex started in June 1981 and was officially opened by former President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, on February 14, 1982.[2]

Olympic venue[]

A graveyard has been established in what was once part of the Olympic Sports Complex in Sarajevo for the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Zetra Olympic Hall was constructed specifically for the 1984 Winter Olympics, hosted in Sarajevo, and was completed in 1982. Its first major event was the 1983 World Junior Speed Skating Championships. It was described as an "ultramodern, angular edifice"[3] with a copper roof. The indoor venue hosted ice hockey and figure skating events, as well as the last closing ceremony held in an indoor place until Vancouver 2010.[4][5][6]

From 1984 to 1991, Zetra remained in service as a venue for ice sports. It served as the venue for several international speed skating events, and several speed skating world records were broken here.

Destruction[]

The arena suffered substantial damage from shelling, bombing and fire by the Serb forces on Monday, May 25, 1992 during the Bosnian War.[7] The interior of the structure, such as the basements and main hall, were put into service as a morgue,[8][9] storage space for medication and supplies, and a staging area for UN equipment.[10][11] The wooden seats from the venue were used as material for coffins for civilians killed in the war.[12][13]

Reconstruction[]

After the war, it was discovered that though the building was badly damaged, the foundation was secure. Although the original blueprints were never recovered, in September 1997, reconstruction on the venue, facilitated by the SFOR, began. The International Olympic Committee donated $US 11.5 million to the project,[10] which cost an estimated DM 32 million (€ 16.4 million).[8] The reconstruction was completed in 1999.

Current use[]

Cerimonia di beatificazione delle cinque all'arena Zetra nel 2011

Zetra hosted the Balkans in July 1999.[14] It is currently in service as a sporting arena.[4] It is also used for music concerts, fairs and conferences. Sometimes, parts of the building are rented for other purposes (e.g. for the elections 2014, it was used as the Main Counting Center and election material storage space). The hall also contains a small museum about the 1984 Winter Olympics as well as a gym, billiard hall, bowling alley, pistol range, two cafes and other sports related content such as headquarters for various clubs and associations.[15]

Concerts and other events[]

List of Concerts and Other Events
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
  • Parni Valjak - June 26, 2020
  • Sting - March 19, 2022

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Olympics Features: Sarajevo Olympic Hall renamed after Juan Antonio Samaranch". www.sportsfeatures.com. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Olympic complex Zetra - Papa u Sarajevu". www.papa.ba. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Now Bring On The Torch" Bob Ottum, Sports Illustrated, March 14, 1983
  4. ^ a b "ZOI84 - Zetra - Bjelašnica - Igman". www.zoi84.ba. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  5. ^ "A little touch of Heaven" B.J. Phillips, Time, February 27, 1984
  6. ^ 1984 Winter Olympics official report. pp. 71-2, 87-88, 105-8.
  7. ^ "The Killing Ground" William Oscar Johnson, Sports Illustrated, February 14, 1994
  8. ^ a b "Zetra returns to the future" David Taylor, SFOR Informer #57, March 17, 1999
  9. ^ "1984: Sarajevo" Bonnie DeSimone, New York Times, February 5, 2006
  10. ^ a b "Sarajevo 2010? Collateral Damage" Sports Illustrated, April 9, 1999
  11. ^ "Guns Now, Butter Later" James L. Graff, Time, July 20, 1992
  12. ^ "TV SPORTS; Goodwill Games Headed for Bosnia?" Richard Sandomir, New York Times, July 7, 1999
  13. ^ "Sarajevo's Olympic Seats Are Now Coffin Boards" Mark Milstein, London Observer news service, August 5, 1993
  14. ^ Balkans Stability Pact Summit David Taylor, SFOR Informer, July 28, 1999
  15. ^ Roberts, Patrick (14 January 2011). "Side Order: In Sarajevo, a small museum with an Olympian message". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  16. ^ DJ BoBo - 01. 04. 2000. - Zetra, Sarajevo
  17. ^ "Đuro, Štuke, Skroz, Zoster i Defence u Zetri". Retrieved 28 October 2017.

External links[]

Media related to Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch at Wikimedia Commons

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