Kazimierza Górskiego),[8][9] known for sponsorship reasons as the PGE Narodowy since 2015 (with patron being added in 2021),[10] is a retractable-roof football stadium located in Warsaw, Poland.
The completion date was set for 24 months from the signing of the contract and the construction process involved approximately 1,200 employees.
[14] The stadium has a capacity of 58,580 seats for spectators during football matches and up to 72,900 during concerts and other events (including 106 sites for disabled people).
The retractable roof structure is 240 × 270 m and the central spire stands at a height of 124 metres above the River Vistula and 100 m above the pitch.
The stadium has the largest conference center in Warsaw with a capacity of 1600 people including 25,000 m2 of commercial office space.
The National Stadium was designed by the German-Polish consortium gmp Architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, J.S.K Architekci Sp.
and sbp—schlaich bergermann und partner (the design by Volkwin Marg and Hubert Nienhoff with Markus Pfisterer, Zbigniew Pszczulny, Mariusz Rutz, Marcin Chruslinski).
This kind of material is resistant to weather factors (rain, the heat of the sun, and can hold up to 18 cm of wet snow) and the crease tendency.
The production technology comes from German company Hightex GmbH, and the textile was produced in Bangkok by the Asia Membrane Co. Ltd.[22] The process of opening or closing the roof takes about 20 minutes and it can only be performed at temperatures above 5 °C and not during rain (this was the reason for a one-day postponement of the football match against England on 16 October 2012).
On 18 June 2008, the National Sports Centre Ltd submitted documents required to obtain a construction permit from the governor of Masovia.
[23] This was approved on 22 July 2008, and on 26 September 2008, an agreement with Pol-Aqua SA to implement the first stage of construction work was signed.
Since the start of the second stage of construction on 29 June 2009, the entire process was also viewable from a second camera installed on a tower at Washington Roundabout.
[24] On 9 March 2009 the pile driving process was completed, and exactly one month later, opening of the offers from companies wishing to implement the second stage of the stadium construction took place.
The time capsule contained flags of Poland, the European Union and the city of Warsaw, newspapers of the day, coins, banknotes, and other artifacts.
The completion of installation of all prefabricated elements took place by 13 August 2010, which represented the entire structure of the stadium stands.
On 16 December 2010 at the headquarters of the National Sports Centre a press conference took place dedicated to the so-called 'big lift operation' at the stadium.
The conference discussed the main principles of the process, one of the most technologically advanced operations in the world and the first such project in Europe.
On this occasion, in the presence of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, a ceremony of symbolic topping-out was held.
[29] Due to ongoing construction, the event was moved to January 2012 and only an inaugural illumination of the facade of the stadium took place in August.
[30] One day later, Rafał Kapler - The NCS President submitted to the site manager an application needed to get a certificate of occupancy.
The most convenient way to reach the stadium from the city centre is to use the transport hub located at the George Washington Roundabout (Rondo Jerzego Waszyngtona).
[34][35] On August 30, 2014, the National Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and match (Poland vs. Serbia) of the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.