Telenor Arena

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Telenor Arena
nickname =


location = Fornebu, Bærum, Norway
coordinates =
broke_ground = 2007
opened = 2009 (scheduled)
renovated =
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner = Stabæk Fotball
operator = Fornebu Arena A/S
surface = Artificial turf
construction_cost = 550 million NOK
architect = HRTB A/S
former_names =
nicknames =
tenants = Stabæk Fotball
seating_capacity = 15,600 (Football) 23,000 (Concerts)
dimensions =

Telenor Arena is a multi-use indoor stadium being constructed at Fornebu in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. It will be used mostly for football matches and will be the new home ground of the football club Stabæk, who currently play at Nadderud stadion. The stadium is scheduled to open ahead of the 2009 season in Norwegian football.

In June 2008, the telecommunications company Telenor acquired the naming rights to the stadium in a deal lasting until 2018. Prior to this, the stadium was known informally as Fornebu Arena, and while still in the concept stages as Blue Dream Arena.

The structure will be a single-tiered bowl attached to a seven-storey building on one side containing retail space, restaurants and bars for the premium-priced seats, executive boxes, and offices. As originally planned, the stadium was to have a retractable roof, but due to the high costs involved it was decided that there would instead be a fixed roof covering both the stands and the pitch. For football matches and other sporting events the total capacity will be approximately 15,600, whereas for concerts it will be up to 23,000.

The Fornebu Arena project has its origins in Stabæk's rapid ascent from the lower divisions of Norwegian football to the top division in the first half of the 1990s. Although several improvements have been made to their current home ground Nadderud stadion since then, including the construction a new main stand in 1996, it remains severely lacking in facilities, and does not meet national requirements for hosting football matches at the highest level. After initially seeking to buy and redevelop Nadderud, which is owned by the municipality, the club started to work towards moving to a new stadium elsewhere in Bærum instead.

In 1999 the club settled on Fornebu, the site of a large urban development project. Lengthy negotiations between the club, the municipality and the area's main developer came to an end in 2005 and the plans gained final approval on 21 June 2006. Demolition of existing structures on site began on 17 February 2007 and construction began shortly after.

The project has an estimated cost of 550 million NOK.

External links

* [http://www.fornebuarena.no Official website] no icon