| Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch | |
|---|---|
| Zetra Arena | |
| Location | Koševo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Opened | 1983 |
| Renovated | 1999 |
| Owner | Sarajevo Canton |
| Operator | ZOI '84 organization |
| Surface | versatile |
| Construction cost | € 16.4 million (1999 renovation) |
| Capacity | 12,000 (18,000 for concerts) |
| Tenants | |
| KK Bosna Sarajevo (2009-) RK Bosna Sarajevo |
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Olympic Hall Juan Antonio Samaranch (Old name Olympic Hall Zetra[1]), also known as Zetra Ice Stadium and Zetra Arena, is an indoor multi-purpose arena in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Named in honour of Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2010 after his passing, it was used for various sporting events at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
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Olympic Hall Zetra was constructed specifically for the 1984 Winter Olympics, hosted in Sarajevo, and was completed in 1983. Its first major event was the 1983 World Junior Speed Skating Championships. It was described as an "ultramodern, angular edifice"[2] with a copper roof. The indoor venue hosted ice hockey and figure skating events, as well as the last closing ceremony held in an indoor place until Vancouver 2010.[3][4][5]
From 1984 to 1991, Zetra remained in service as a venue for ice sports. It served as the venue for several international speed skating events, and several speed skating world records were broken here.
The arena suffered substantial damage and was almost completely destroyed by shelling, bombing and fire by the Serb forces on Monday, May 25, 1992 during the Bosnian War.[6] The remaining areas of the structure, such as the basements, were put into service as a morgue[7][8] and as storage space for medication and supplies.[9][10] The wooden seats from the venue were used as material for coffins for civilians killed in the war.[11][12]
After the war, it was discovered that though the building was badly damaged, the foundation was secure. In September 1997, reconstruction on the venue, facilitated by the SFOR, began. The International Olympic Committee donated $US 11.5 million to the project,[9] which cost an estimated DM 32 million (€ 16.4 million).[7] The reconstruction was completed in 1999.
Zetra hosted the Balkans Stability Pact Summit in July 1999.[13] It is currently in service as a sporting arena.[3] The hall also contains a small museum about the 1984 Winter Olympics.[14]
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