Switzerland’s ‘Joggeli’ set for total rejig

Article posted by Coliseum, September 5^th, 2022

Image: Stadion+ and Herzog & de Meuron

The design for the St. Jakob-Park in Switzerland has been launched. The club is all set to undergo total facelift.

The redevelopment is expected to see capacity at St. Jakob-Park come down from 35,600 to 33,023 seats. It is expected that the reconfiguration work will be over by December 2027.

‘Stadion+ St. Jakob-Park in Basel’ stated that the Genossenschaft Stadion St. Jakob-Park, the body which owns the above stadium nicknamed ‘Joggeli’, has launched the ‘STADION+’ project in a bid to revamp the largest football venue in Switzerland.

The 38,512-capacity St. Jakob-Park – which opened in the year 2001 – is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel, Switzerland. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. ‘Joggeli’, as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats.

The Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss football club based in Basel, in the Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the Swiss Super League club has been Swiss national champions 20 times, Swiss Cup winners 13 times and Swiss League Cup winners once.

‘Stadion+ St. Jakob-Park in Basel’ further stated that the revitalization project will make the ‘Joggeli’ state-of-the-art and in sync with the spiffy stadia of today. After all, it has been more than 20 years that the facility has not received a spruce-up.

The revamp exercise will also facilitate to further expand the uses of the facility.

Enthused Andreas Kressler, President of Genossenschaft Stadion St. Jakob-Park, “We are thrilled that the idea that we conceived a year ago is all set to get implemented. STADION+ has one goal, namely ‘mee Joggeli für alli’. That means: More security, more sustainability, more encounters, and more opportunities.”

An avant-garde look will have to be lent to the ‘Joggeli’ to cater to the needs of the present crop of spectators and Gen Z.

Topmost priority will be accorded to the security quotient of spectators and the sustainability factor, and the venue will come armed with plush facilities.

Genossenschaft Stadion St. Jakob-Park has developed the STADION+ vision in association with main tenant FC Basel and Herzog & de Meuron, the architecture company behind the original stadium.

The objective is to make the arena a fulcrum for sport, culture and community-related activities.

From an ecological standpoint, STADION+ will seek to set new standards for the sustainable use of resources. The most noticeable part of the project will see the current façade replaced by an attractive and low-maintenance, integrated building envelope.

This also covers enlarged concourses, which offer the potential for varied uses. The new shell of the stadium is envisioned as an energy-producing surface consisting of photovoltaic modules. With this, the new St. Jakob-Park will cover its entire energy requirements. In addition, the enlarged roof area will be better utilized for rainwater recycling.

The total transformation process will ensure that the ‘Joggeli’ meets the current national and international standards of stadia, as well as FIFA benchmarks. It will also ensure that visitors long to visit the stadium and stay back longer.

Economically, through the use of modern technologies and durable materials, officials believe maintenance costs will be reduced in the future.

STADION+ FC Basel 1893 is also expanding its hospitality areas and opening up new hospitality spaces.

The price tag of the basic project is expected to cost CHF50m, but Genossenschaft Stadion St. Jakob-Park will only be able to contribute CHF5m and the two cantons – Basel-Stadt (Basel-Stadt or Basel-City is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation) and Basel-Landschaft (one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation) – have been requested to pick up the tab of the remaining amount.

Meanwhile, FC Basel is financing expansion of the stadium’s hospitality areas, at an additional cost of between CHF10m and CHF20m.

The facility will be reconfigured in such a manner that it can be used even on non-matchdays in the lines of a stadium district.

Concluded David Degen, FCB President, “As the main tenant, FC Basel 1893 welcomes the above development. The St. Jakob-Park is aging and redevelopment is the need of the hour so as to keep fans engaged and help them savor an enriching experience.”

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