Sparkassen-Arena

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Sparkassen-Arena

Location	Kiel, Germany
Broke ground	November 10, 1950
Opened	June 17, 1951
Renovated	2001
Owner	Ostseehalle Kiel Betriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
Architect	Wilhelm Neveling, Büro Schnittger (renovation)
Tenants	THW Kiel (HBL)
Capacity	13,500 (concerts) 10,250 (handball)

The Sparkassen-Arena (formerly known as Ostseehalle) is an indoor arena in Kiel, Germany. It is primarily used by THW Kiel (team handball) and as a concert venue and holds up to 13,500 people.

[edit] History

The construction was determined in 1950 by the Kiel council meeting and was initiated on the 17th June, 1951 during the Kiel Week and was finished in 1952. For this purpose the steel construction of a retired airplane hangar of the air base on the island Sylt was dismantled and brought to Kiel. In the course of decades the arena was constantly redeveloped, and since renovations on September, 2001 it is „prepared for the next 50 years“ according to the operators.

On the 1st January, 2008 the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe purchased the naming rights.