LHC Temporary Ice Hockey Arena
Location
Lausanne, Switzerland
Year
2017 – 2020
Products
Hall construction, Grandstands, stadiums and arenas, Event structures
While the Vaudoise Aréna was being rebuilt, the Lausanne Hockey Club needed a fully functional temporary venue for practices and league games. As the general contractor, NUSSLI designed and built a temporary ice hockey arena complete with full arena infrastructure, bleachers, and all the technical facilities required for professional games. NUSSLI was responsible for all project phases, from planning and submitting the building permit application to construction, maintenance, and eventual dismantling. Within just a few months, a modern interim solution was created that ensured the Lausanne Hockey Club’s operations could continue without interruption.
A fully functional arena during the construction of the new stadium
The construction of the new Vaudoise Aréna at its existing location made a temporary solution necessary. At the same time, the Lausanne Hockey Club needed to be able to continue holding its home games and training sessions under professional conditions. To address this, NUSSLI developed a temporary ice hockey arena measuring 96 × 66 × 17 meters. The facility could accommodate a total of 6,700 spectators, including approximately 2,000 standing-room-only seats. The ice surface met the requirements of professional ice hockey and complied with all specifications for national competitions. The arena demonstrated that even temporary sports facilities can meet the highest standards of functionality, safety, and spectator comfort.
Responsibility throughout the entire project cycle
As the general contractor, NUSSLI assumed overall responsibility for the project. This included planning, submitting the building permit application, coordinating all trades, construction, maintenance during the operational period, and complete demolition upon the end of the facility’s use. The project was supported by BG Ingénieurs Conseils SA, which provided engineering services throughout the planning and construction phases. Centralized project management enabled efficient implementation and ensured that all technical and organizational requirements were optimally coordinated.
Complex Building Systems for Elite Sports
The biggest challenge of the project lay not in the construction of the arena itself, but in the technical infrastructure of a modern ice hockey arena. The requirements for ice production in a temporary facility are virtually the same as those for a permanent stadium. Even during the warm summer months, a high-performance dehumidification system had to ensure that the arena remained dry despite high outside temperatures and humidity. This was the only way to prevent fog from forming over the ice surface and to guarantee professional game operations. The lighting also met the requirements for television broadcasts and created optimal conditions for games, spectators, and the media. The ice surface was constructed in accordance with professional ice hockey standards.
Infrastructure for Teams and Fans
In addition to the main arena, a comprehensive infrastructure was built for teams, visitors, and event operations. The stands could accommodate 6,700 fans and were complemented by spacious food and beverage areas. A container village consisting of a total of 135 prefabricated containers housed locker rooms, restrooms, technical rooms, administrative offices, and ticket booths. Approximately 500 metric tons of steel and about 350 metric tons of grandstand materials were used for the supporting structure. In total, approximately 140 truckloads of materials were transported to the construction site and assembled there by an installation team of up to 60 skilled workers.
Efficient System Design
The arena was built entirely using a modular construction system. This construction principle enabled short construction times, high quality, and the facility’s complete dismantling at a later date. Once the facility was no longer in use, the modular components could be dismantled and reused for other projects. Thus, the modular construction method combines economic efficiency with a resource-conserving use of building materials. The advantages of this construction method are particularly evident in temporary sports facilities: high-quality infrastructure is created exactly where it is needed and can subsequently be reused elsewhere.
