NATAL,BRAZIL (WORLD CUP 2014)

Key facts

Club: América Futebol Clube | Opening: 2013 | Capacity: 33,000 seats (World Cup: 43,000 seats)

History and description

The Arena das Dunas got built to serve as one of the playing venues for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It replaced the old Machadão stadium, which got demolished in October 2011.

Construction of the stadium progressed slowly and it was only completed in December 2013, six months before the start of the World Cup.

The Arena das Dunas is scheduled to host four group matches during the World Cup. After the tournament, the arena will become the home of local side América de Natal, while ABC FC will occasionally use the arena for important matches. Its capacity will get reduced with 10,000 places to a final 33,000 seats.

The design of the stadium by architecture firm Populous is inspired by Natal’s famous sand dunes. Its most characteristic features are the upper tier and roof in the shape of petals. The space between the petals allows the on-shore sea breezes to flow into the stadium while the roof shield the spectators from the at times intense sunlight.