Peace and Friendship Stadium
| ΣΕΦ | |
 | |
| Location | Neo Faliro, Piraeus, Athens, Greece |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°56′32.91″N 23°40′02.27″E / 37.9424750°N 23.6672972°ECoordinates: 37°56′32.91″N 23°40′02.27″E / 37.9424750°N 23.6672972°E |
| Owner | Greek State |
| Operator | Olympiacos |
| Capacity |
Basketball: 11,600[1] (permanent seating) 12,000 (including court-side seats - current for Olympiacos games) 14,776 (all collapsible bleachers in use) 14,940 (all collapsible bleachers in use, plus court-side seats) 16,000–17,000 (full configuration of the arena - during EuroBasket 1987) Volleyball: 13,200 (during the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics) Indoor athletics: 10,520 |
| Surface | Parquet |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1983 |
| Opened | February 16, 1985[2] |
| Renovated | 2002–2004 |
| Construction cost |
€ 25 million (1983) Renovation: € 7.3 million (2002–2004) |
| Architect | Thimios Papagiannis |
| Tenants | |
| Olympiacos[3] | |
The Peace and Friendship Stadium, commonly known by its acronym SEF (Greek: Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας, transliterated as Stadio Eirinis kai Filias) is a multi-purpose indoor arena that is located in Piraeus, on the coastal zone of Athens, 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.
History
The Peace and Friendship Stadium opened in 1985,[4] and its construction cost was €25,000,000 in 1983 prices. It was designed by the architectural firm "Thymios Papagiannis and Associates". The arena is built opposite to the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, located in the western end of the Phaleron Bay, in the coastal zone of Athens. It was inaugurated on February 16, 1985, at the first Panhellenic Athletics Indoor Championship, and hosted the 1985 European Athletics Indoor Championships in March.[5]
In 1991, the arena won the Golden Award from IAKS, the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities.[4]
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.[6] For 2001-02 they moved to the Glyfada Arena.[7]
The arena's total capacity varies, depending on the collapsible bleachers used in the lower level, besides its 11,600 permanent seating in the mid and upper levels.[1] The Peace and Friendship Stadium seats up to 14,776 for basketball games, with all the bleachers in use.[7]
Other uses
The arena is occasionally used for events like congresses, music concerts, and indoor motocross races. It is also capable to accommodate ice skating events, although it has never been used as an ice skating venue. The Scorpions, Phil Collins, Dire Straits, Status Quo, UB40, Gloria Estefan, Deep Purple, and Placebo, 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.[8]
Transportation
The Peace and Friendship Stadium is located in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, 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 station, the terminus of Athens Tram.
Notable events hosted
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- 1992 European Champions' Cup Final Four
- 1993 European Champions' Cup Final Four
- 1994 World Championship
- 1995 European Championships
- 1996 European Cup Winners' Cup Final Four
- 2004 Athens Olympics – volleyball tournament
- 2005 European Top Teams Cup Final Four
- Indoor athletics
- Wrestling
- Gymnastics
- Weightlifting
See also
References
- 1 2 The Peace and Frienship Stadium.
- ↑ Λίγα Ιστορικά στοιχεία (Greek).
- ↑ "Olympiacos Piraeus". Euroleague Properties. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Peace and Friendship Stadium". Mondo Spazio. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ↑ History (Greek)
- ↑ 2004 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. p. 421.
- 1 2 "Olympiacos B.C. move". stadia.gr. October 13, 2001. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
- ↑ Stadium Presentation Brochure.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Peace and Friendship Stadium. |
- Official website (Greek)
- SEF at Olympiacos B.C.'s official website
- SEF at stadia.gr
- Basketball images at Getty images
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Scandinavium Gothenburg |
European Indoor Championships in Athletics Venue 1985 |
Succeeded by Palacio de Deportes de la CAM Madrid |
| Preceded by Patinoire des Vernets Geneva |
FIBA European Champions Cup Final Venue 1985 |
Succeeded by Budapest Sportcsarnok Budapest |
| Preceded by Schleyerhalle Stuttgart |
FIBA EuroBasket Final Venue 1987 |
Succeeded by Dom Sportova Zagreb |
| Preceded by Palais des Sports Grenoble |
FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Final Venue 1989 |
Succeeded by Palasport di Firenze Florence |
| Preceded by Abdi İpekçi Arena Istanbul |
FIBA European League Final Four Venue 1993 |
Succeeded by Yad Eliyahu Sports Hall Tel Aviv |
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