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Swiss Life Arena“It only takes the soul” – Lions finally have their own cage
A good two weeks before the first home game, the ZSC Lions present their new hockey temple. The arena in Zurich-Altstetten sets new standards and should keep the club afloat in the long term.
The ice rink in Zurich-Altstetten will offer space for 12,000 fans – all with an ideal view of the ice.
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The ZSC CEO during the arena tour on Sunday.
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The time has come on October 18th: The ZSC Lions will play their first home game in the brand new Swiss Life Arena.
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A good two weeks before the premiere, the finished hockey temple was shown to interested media professionals.
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ZSC CEO Peter Zahner: We asked other arenas what they would do differently today and implemented it accordingly.”
25 years after the merger between GC and ZSC, the resulting ZSC Lions finally have their own home. The brand new Swiss Life Arena was ready in time for the first home game on October 18 against Fribourg-Gottéron and “is shining in all its glory for the first time”, as ZSC CEO Peter Zahner enthuses.
Yesterday, the 61-year-old presented the attractive multifunctional hall in Zurich-Altstetten to a group of media professionals during a detailed tour. Whether it’s a gigantic video cube, cloakrooms or gastronomy: the ice rink for 12,000 fans meets the very latest standards.
“No more stadium debacle”
Zahner: “We asked other arenas what they would do differently today and then implemented it accordingly.” Now you will make your own mistakes and learn from them as best you can, according to the Aargauer. So far, the arena in Friborg has been the best in Switzerland – so far. In 13 years between the first planning and the opening, a “magnificent witch’s cauldron” was realized “relatively smoothly” for the conditions in the city of Zurich.
For comparison: Efforts for a new football stadium in Zurich are older – and a realization is still a long way off. Zahner: “The city didn’t want another stadium debacle.” Thanks to a lot of transparency and openness, the whole thing went relatively quietly on the political stage. “We offered and not demanded,” says the business economist.
Sustainable in every sense
The result is impressive. The ice hockey temple, which ended up costing around CHF 207 million and is mainly privately financed, is all about sustainability. On the one hand, because the arena sets new standards in terms of energy generation and efficiency.
And on the other hand, because, as Board President Walter Frey (79) says, it would finally ensure the economic sustainability of the organization. “The Lions have always had a structural deficit because of the Hallenstadion, which we did not own, and we can now effectively address this.”
ZSC tradition also at the new location
More income can also be generated by marketing the stadium for other sports and corporate events. For example, the Swiss Life Arena will be hosting the Floorball World Championships in just a few weeks. The Nations Cup and the General Assembly of Swiss Life’s first AGM will be held in the spring. You could also sign up for the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2026.
In any case, the arena has created a functioning body. “Now we have to breathe soul into it,” says Frey. This should happen on the one hand by breathing the ZSC tradition into the new walls. For example, at the first home game, club legends such as Matthias Seger and Ari Sulander, after whom the conference rooms in the stadium are named, will be immortalized under the stadium roof.
On the other hand, as investor and Vice President of Betriebs-AG Peter Spuhler (63) says, titles should now also help – whether with the current or a future generation of Lions, who now finally have their very own home. Or as a ZSC junior yells at you on the largest video wall in Europe: “Dä Loi chunnt it neus Chäfig über.”
The Swiss Life Arena in figures
Total area: 70,000 m2
Spectator capacity: 12,000 (ice hockey)
Standing home fans: 1200
Standing room for guest fans: 500
Seats in Business Club: 1200
Number of screens in the stadium: 200
Number of boxes: 14
Season tickets sold so far: approx. 8000
Video cube weight: 21 tons
Dimensions video cube: 12 x 12 x 8 meters
Number of pixels video cube: 12 million