Features

Arena plans move forward for Zurich’s Lions

The Swiss city of Zurich is set to receive a new arena after the council signed off on a building permit for the new home of National League ice hockey club ZSC Lions.

The project has been in the works since 2016, with 57% of Zurich voters voting in favour of the arena in September of that year. Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger said the building permit will take hold at the end of November, with construction set to commence in earnest in March.

Dubbed the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, the new project will combine the main 12,000-capacity arena, plus a training hall for the club. The city council has already granted the Lions a CHF120m (£93.5m/€105.2m/$119.3m) loan to fund the development.

The Lions currently play at the 11,200-capacity Hallenstadion, which first opened in 1939 before being renovated in 2004-05. The new arena will be located in Altstetten, a quarter in district nine of the city of Zurich.

Image: ZSC Lions