Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana, the home of Polish Ekstraklasa football club Wisła Kraków, is set to undergo renovation work in order to fulfil its role as a key venue for the 2023 European Games.
The City of Kraków, owner of the venue, has awarded a contract for the work to construction company Eiffage Polska Budownictwo. Efforts to select a contractor commenced in July, but three prior rounds of talks failed to provide a winning bid.
However, Eiffage Polska Budownictwo has now succeeded with an offer that values the project at over PLN98m (£18m/€20.9m/$22.1m). Delays in the process mean that the project now faces a narrow window for completion. May 31 has been set as the completion date, with Kraków and the region of Małopolska due to host the third edition of the European Games from June 21 to July 2.
Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana is scheduled to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the multi-sport event, along with the rugby sevens competition. The stadium underwent a complete redevelopment to its current capacity of around 33,000 to serve as a reserve venue for Poland’s co-hosting of UEFA Euro 2012 with Ukraine.
The new project will focus on modernising the façade and HVAC installations related to ventilation, air conditioning and heating. As part of the works related to the façade, it is planned to replace windows and doors and improve the overall aesthetics, so that the building looks more impressive from the outside.
The changes are also intended to make the stadium energy efficient and are envisioned to essentially complete the work carried out a decade ago. “This is a very important moment for us,” said Deputy Mayor of Krakow, Jerzy Muzyk, according to the Gazeta Krakowska newspaper. “We finally finished this project. We know how important this investment is in preparation for the European Games in 2023.
“Without it, we would not be in a situation where we sign a contract for this task. We wanted, above all, to change the façade of the stadium. The works will give this building a different quality. Looking at the building will no longer give the impression that it is unfinished. Without the Games and funds from the Ministry of Sport, the city would not be able to afford this project.”
Poland’s Ministry of Sport is contributing PLN80m to the scheme.
