OREANDA-NEWS  On 10 December was announced, that transstroy, part of Basic Element's Construction Sector, won the tender to construct "Zenith" soccer stadium in St. Petersburg.  "Zenith" will be the city's first stadium dedicated exclusively for soccer games, and it will be among the most technologically advanced facilities in the city.  The stadium was originally designed by architect Kisho Kurokawa, one the renown masters of Japanese high-tech.

On December 5, Transstroy Engineering Company, a leading company within Transstroy holding, became the winner of the tender for the construction of the stadium.  The tender was organized by the St. Petersburg Construction Committee on November 28.  Six Russian construction companies and one consortium of international firms participated.  At 13,022 bn rubles, Transstroy's offer was pronounced the best.

"Russia's north-west is among the most important regions for Transstroy.  "Zenith" stadium was designed according to the best international standards, and is technologically unique for Russia.  I am confident that the construction of the stadium will be completed on time and at the highest quality level - as well as many other facilities built by our holding company in St. Petersburg," says Yuri Reylyan, Transstroy CEO.

According to Transstroy Engineering Company CEO Ivan Kuznetsov, the falling prices on construction materials, including metal structures and cement, made it possible to reduce the offer price by 30%.  The company plans to engage the necessary equipment and resources in order to begin construction in a timely manner.

The project will be implemented by Inzhtransstroy - SPb, Transstroy's regional subsidiary.  As a result, all taxes associated with construction of the stadium will be paid in St. Petersburg.

The stadium will be located in the western part of Krestovsky Island in St. Petersburg and will be able to accommodate 62,000 spectators.  Construction will start in December 2008 and will be completed by the end of 2010.

"Zenith" stadium fact-sheet

The project was designed by Kisho Kurokawa, one of renown masters of Japanese high-tech.  Other works by Kurokawa include Nagoya City Museum, Osaka Convention Center, Japan-Germany Center in Berlin, Melbourne Central, China-Japan Youth Center in Beijing, Tour Pacifique in Paris, the new Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and Kuala-Lumpur Airport.

During construction, the skyline of the hill will be preserved, along with the pavilions by architect Nikolsky which are currently used as offices.  Following reconstruction, these pavilions will become shops and ticket offices.

The stadium will not feature running tracks and will be used exclusively for soccer games. It will be constructed in accordance with modern requirements for sports facilities.  The stadium will feature a sliding roof, 286 m in diameter, based on eight masts.