Peace_and_Friendship_Stadium

Peace and Friendship Stadium

Peace and Friendship Stadium

Multi-purpose indoor arena in Piraeus, Greece

The Peace and Friendship Stadium (Greek: Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας, romanized: Stadio Eirinis kai Philias), commonly known by its acronym SEF, is a multi-purpose indoor arena that is located in Piraeus, on the coastal zone of Attica, Greece. The arena is mostly known for being the home to EuroLeague team Olympiacos, and is the central venue of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex. It opened in 1985 and its design was inspired by Palasport di San Siro.

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The arena complex also contains a 942-seat amphitheater,[6] a weight training room, a full practice facility, three auxiliary courts that house the Olympiacos youth clubs,[7] and the Olympiacos team office.[8] It is also used as training center for the Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association.

History

13,200 seat configuration during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics Volleyball Tournament.

The Peace and Friendship Stadium opened in 1985,[9] and its construction cost was €25,000,000 in 1983 prices. It was designed by the architectural firm "Thymios Papagiannis and Associates" and had a capacity of 14,940.[10] The arena is built opposite to the Karaiskakis Stadium, located in the western end of the Phaleron Bay. It was inaugurated on February 16, 1985, at the first Panhellenic Athletics Indoor Championship, and hosted the 1985 European Athletics Indoor Championships in March.[11] Originally it was designed and operated for a dual use as an ice hockey rink and as basketball stadium. The first Greek Ice Hockey Championship was held in the stadium in 1989. The operation of the skating rink was stopped for the use of other sports.

In 1991, the arena won the Golden Award from IAKS, the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities.[9]

Since the 1991–92 season, the Peace and Friendship Stadium has been the home court to Greek League and EuroLeague professional basketball club Olympiacos. The arena was closed from April 2002, to early 2004, for renovation works, at a total cost of €7,300,000, and hosted the indoor volleyball tournament during the 2004 Summer Olympics.[12] During the period that the arena was closed for renovations, Olympiacos played at the Glyfada Makis Liougas Sportshall, during the 2001–02 season, and at the Korydallos Sports Hall, during the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons.[13] The Greek Basket League club Lavrio used the arena to host its FIBA Champions League home games, during the 2021–22 season.

The arena's total capacity varies, depending on the collapsible bleachers used in the lower level, besides its 11,640 permanent seating in the mid and upper levels,[1] with additional temporary seating, it currently seats a total of 12,300 people for basketball games.[2][3][4] The Peace and Friendship Stadium seats up to 14,776 for basketball games, with all the bleachers in use.[13]

Training facility and auxiliary courts

Olympiacos and Orléans warm up before a EuroLeague game at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, in October 2009.

The arena features a full training court for the senior men's team of Olympiacos, which is also used by the club's reserve team, Olympiacos B Development Team. The arena also has additional auxiliary basketball courts. The auxiliary courts are used by the youth clubs of Olympiacos.[7]

Other uses

The arena is occasionally used for events like congresses, music concerts, and indoor motocross races. The Scorpions,[14] Phil Collins,[15] Dire Straits,[16] Status Quo, UB40, Gloria Estefan, Deep Purple, A-HA and Placebo,[17] are among the artists who have performed at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.

Outside the main arena, in the same stadium building, there is a 942-seat amphitheater, and various other halls of a total area of 16,048 sqm, where exhibitions and congresses take place.[18]

Transportation

The Peace and Friendship Stadium is located in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus municipality, on the coastal Poseidonos Avenue, and at the end of the Kifissou Avenue. It is 2 km away from the port of Piraeus. It sits on a major transportation hub, next to the Faliro metro station on Athens Metro Line 1, and the SEF tram stop.

Notable events hosted

During the Greek Figure Skating Championship (before 1991)

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "The Peace and Friendship Stadium". Archived from the original on 2016-08-02. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  2. [2]
    Λεμονίδης, Στέφανος. "Έτοιμο το ΣΕΦ για τον τελικό Ολυμπιακός-Ραβένα(pics)". Fosonline.gr.
  3. [3]
    "Στο ΣΕΦ με τη Ραβένα για την Κούπα!". March 21, 2018.
  4. [4]
    Ryan, Emmet (October 10, 2016). "Euroleague 2016-17 preview: Olympiacos Piraeus". BallinEurope.
  5. [5]
    "Λίγα Ιστορικά στοιχεία" (in Greek).
  6. [6]
    "FACILITIES Places Exhibitions / Conferences - Melina Mercouri".
  7. [7]
    "The facilities".
  8. [8]
    "Olympiacos BC HQ".
  9. [9]
    "Peace and Friendship Stadium". Mondo Spazio. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  10. [10]
    "Η μεταμόρφωση του ΣΕΦ! Τα βαφτίσια του Ανδρέα, τα ευρωπαϊκά και το λίφτινγκ σε... Χάλα Πιονίρ (ΦΩΤΟ)". sportdog.gr (in Greek). 25 June 2023.
  11. [11]
    "Στάδιο Ειρήνης & Φιλίας - Ιστορικό". Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  12. [12]
    2004 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. p. 421.
  13. [13]
    "Olympiacos B.C. move". stadia.gr. October 13, 2001. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  14. [14]
    "10/27/2010: Scorpions @ Peace and Friendship Stadium | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org.
  15. [15]
    "Στην Αθήνα ο Phil Collins". antenna.gr.
  16. [16]
    "Dire Straits 1985 World Tour Logo". March 15, 2014 – via Flickr.
  17. [17]
    "08 August 2014 - Peace and Friendship Stadium (Athens, Greece) - LJ Placebo Russia Archive". www.placeborussia.ru.
  18. [18]
    "Stadium Presentation Brochure" (PDF).
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