In Jihlava, the Horácká arena worth two billion is starting to operate, with a trial operation lasting a year

Jihlava - In Jihlava, a multipurpose Horácká arena costing two billion crowns begins operation, built by the city to replace the old ice rink. The project preparation took seven years and the construction lasted 26 months. Now the trial operation begins, which will last about a year. Mayor Petr Ryška (ODS) told reporters today during the presentation of the arena that he values the adherence to the budget and the timeline for completion, as well as the fact that the project did not halt other investments in the city.

"I am very glad that the seven years of work had some effect, that we were able to overcome all the problems that came with it,” said the mayor. The city took over the arena from the construction company GEMO this Wednesday, extending the deadline by two weeks, which is, according to the mayor, the absolute minimum. It did not jeopardize the first planned hockey match of Jihlava's Dukla against Zlín, which will be held on Saturday. The grand opening of the arena will be on November 8.

The arena can host sports and cultural events, fairs, and conferences. In full operation, it can accommodate around 5,500 spectators for sports and over 7,400 for concerts. For the first three matches, the capacity is reduced to half. Season ticket holders, of which there are currently 2,100, will gain access.

Jiří Holik, one of the hockey legends of Dukla, also came to inspect the arena, which features a dominant red and silver color scheme. "I really like it, not too big, not too small, just right for Jihlava,” he said. He noted that discussions about a new hockey hall have been ongoing for two decades.

The GEMO company built the arena for 1.9 billion crowns, and the equipment cost around 185 million crowns. The region contributed half a billion crowns, and the National Sports Agency provided 300 million crowns. "The trial operation is mandated for one year, during which we will see how it develops. We may shorten it,” said David Beke (ODS), Jihlava councilor and construction manager of the arena.

Workers are still making final adjustments, adding equipment, and repairing surfaces. Beke stated that during the first events, people from the companies that supplied the technology will be present in the hall. "To ensure that everything works. They will be tuning it, finishing some elements, adjusting sensors, and other things,” he added.

The arena was designed by the architectural studio Chybík+Krištof. "Architecture is taken seriously in Jihlava,” said Ondřej Chybík. He noted that it is the largest sports structure according to an architectural competition in modern Czech history. The studio won the competition in the fall of 2019. "We really had the opportunity to address this from start to finish, and I hope that will be visible in the building,” he said.

The Horácká arena replaced a stadium that served in the center of Jihlava for 68 years. There are 2.4 tons of audio equipment suspended in the stands of the new arena, with a central LED cube in the middle of the hall, LED boards surrounding the entire ice rink, and a 217-meter long strip of LED diodes on the stands. There are facilities for athletes and coaches and ten gastronomic operations.

A 230-meter long running track on the roof of the arena will also be accessible to the public. In the adjacent corner building, there is a brewery, hotel, fitness center, and gym. There are also staircases leading to the park created next to the arena.