Kristins Hall
Encyclopedia
Kristins Hall is an arena
located at Stampesletta
in Lillehammer
, Norway
. It consist of an ice rink
, a combined handball
and floorball
court, and a curling rink. The venue, owned and operated by Lillehammer Municipality, opened in 1988 and cost 65 million Norwegian krone
(NOK) to build. One of the motivations for its construction was to help Lillehammer's bid to be selected as the host of the 1994 Winter Olympics
. The ice rink has a capacity for 3,194 spectators and is the home court of the ice hockey GET-ligaen
side Lillehammer IK. Kristins Hall is located next to the larger Håkons Hall, which opened in 1993. During the 1994 Winter Olympics, Kristins Hall was a training rink, and subsequently hosted the ice sledge hockey tournament
at the 1994 Winter Paralympics
. The venue also co-hosted Group B of the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
.
. In 1985, Lillehammer Municipal Council accepted an agreement with the Norwegian Confederation of Sports (NIF), which offered to finance 50% of a new multi-use arena in Lillehammer. Combined with the construction of the skiing resort Hafjell
, it was part of a plan to document the construction of new venues in and around Lillehammer to help the town secure the right to host the Olympics. The construction received NOK 25 million in state grants. To promote the Olympic bid, the venue was given priority by NIF in their recommendation for use of public grants. In May 1987, the municipal council stated that they did not want to apply to host the B-Group of the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships, because they feared the venue would not be completed by November 1987. NIF President Hans B. Skaset
stated that this could jeopardize the entire Olympic bid if Lillehammer withdrew from arranging such a small event. The decision was changed a week later. The venue opened in December 1988 and cost NOK 65 million.
After Lillehammer was awarded the 1994 Winter Olympics in 1988, it became necessary to build a larger venue to hold the Olympic ice hockey matches. The name of the arena was decided by the Lillehammer Municipal Council in October 1988, as part of a broader branding policy, based on the history of the Birkebeiner
. Originally the administration had suggested the new larger hall be named Håkons Hall, after Haakon Haakonarson, later king of Norway, while the smaller hall would be named Sveres Hall, for Sverre Sigurdsson. During the political debate, a number of female councilors suggested that the smaller hall be named Kristins Hall, for Sigurdsson's daughter Kristina Sverresdotter, which was passed by the city council. Kristin and Håkon would be used to name the mascots for the Olympics. Kristins Hall has had small renovations throughout the years, including an upgrade in 2007 which included new ice hockey sideboards, a new ice machine, a new lighting system, and a new handball floor.
The ice rink is certified by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association to hold 3,197 spectators, but can accommodate up to 4,000 people in special circumstances. The cooling and heating systems for Håkons Hall and Kristins Hall are connected, allowing them to function as energy reserves for each other.
, the premier ice hockey league in Norway. During the season, they play one to two home games per week, typically attracting a crowd of 1,000 to 1,500 spectators. They inaugurated the arena in December 1988 with a match against Oshaug. The ice rink is also used by the Norwegian College of Elite Sport in Lillehammer and Lillehammer Kunstløpklubb. The handball hall is used by Lillehammer Innebandyklubb and Lillehammerstudentenes IL, while the curling rink is used by Lillehammer Curlingklubb. The venue is owned and operated by Lillehammer Municipality.
The official opening of the venue took place on 12 December 1988, when Norway played West Germany. Kristins Hall held two more Norwegian friendly internationals during the season, before it was host to the B-Group during the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
. Ten matches were played in Lillehammer, including the opening match between Norway and Japan, while eighteen matches were played in Oslo
. During the 1994 Winter Olympics, Kristins Hall was used as a training venue for the ice hockey teams
, which played their matches at Håkons Hall and Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall. During the 1994 Winter Paralympics
, Kristins Hall hosted the ice sledge hockey tournament
. Lillehammer is the sole applicant for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. If selected, the plan is for Kristins Hall to be used for curling and ice hockey. This would involve an expansion of the curling rink to satisfy international requirements, including expansion of the spectator capacity.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
located at Stampesletta
Stampesletta
Stampesletta is a multi-use stadium complex in Lillehammer, Norway. Owned and operated by Lillehammer Municipality, it consists of a track and field venue, an artificial turf football field, three natural grass football fields, a gravel field and natural grass training pitches...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It consist of an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
, a combined handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
and floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
court, and a curling rink. The venue, owned and operated by Lillehammer Municipality, opened in 1988 and cost 65 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK) to build. One of the motivations for its construction was to help Lillehammer's bid to be selected as the host of the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
. The ice rink has a capacity for 3,194 spectators and is the home court of the ice hockey GET-ligaen
GET-ligaen
GET-ligaen is the premier Norwegian ice hockey league, organised by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation. The league was known as 1. divisjon until 1990, when it was reorganized and named Eliteserien . That name was held until 2004 when cable TV company UPC became main sponsor...
side Lillehammer IK. Kristins Hall is located next to the larger Håkons Hall, which opened in 1993. During the 1994 Winter Olympics, Kristins Hall was a training rink, and subsequently hosted the ice sledge hockey tournament
Ice sledge hockey at the 1994 Winter Paralympics
- Medal summary :- References :...
at the 1994 Winter Paralympics
1994 Winter Paralympics
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Winter Paralympics, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10–19 March 1994. These Games marked the first time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation...
. The venue also co-hosted Group B of the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Poland was relegated to Group B.-World Championship Group B :Played in Oslo and Lillehammer March 30th to April 9th. The April 5th game between Norway and Austria was officially adjusted to 8-0 for Norway because of Siegfried Haberl's positive drug test...
.
Construction
Plans for an ice rink in Lillehammer started in the 1980s with the Lillehammer bid for the 1992 Winter OlympicsLillehammer bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics
The Lillehammer bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics and Paralympics was an unsuccessful campaign launched in 1984. It bid ended fourth of seven at the 91st IOC Session on 17 September 1986, who awarded the 1992 Winter Olympics to Albertville, France...
. In 1985, Lillehammer Municipal Council accepted an agreement with the Norwegian Confederation of Sports (NIF), which offered to finance 50% of a new multi-use arena in Lillehammer. Combined with the construction of the skiing resort Hafjell
Hafjell
Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland.Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfjell, a regular stop on the World Cup tour for men's speed events in March...
, it was part of a plan to document the construction of new venues in and around Lillehammer to help the town secure the right to host the Olympics. The construction received NOK 25 million in state grants. To promote the Olympic bid, the venue was given priority by NIF in their recommendation for use of public grants. In May 1987, the municipal council stated that they did not want to apply to host the B-Group of the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships, because they feared the venue would not be completed by November 1987. NIF President Hans B. Skaset
Hans B. Skaset
Hans Bernhard Skaset is a Norwegian civil servant and sports official.He competed in athletics and was national champion in pentathlon and decathlon. He was a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences from 1975 to 1991. He chaired the Norwegian Athletics Federation from 1976 to 1983. He...
stated that this could jeopardize the entire Olympic bid if Lillehammer withdrew from arranging such a small event. The decision was changed a week later. The venue opened in December 1988 and cost NOK 65 million.
After Lillehammer was awarded the 1994 Winter Olympics in 1988, it became necessary to build a larger venue to hold the Olympic ice hockey matches. The name of the arena was decided by the Lillehammer Municipal Council in October 1988, as part of a broader branding policy, based on the history of the Birkebeiner
Birkebeiner
The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla...
. Originally the administration had suggested the new larger hall be named Håkons Hall, after Haakon Haakonarson, later king of Norway, while the smaller hall would be named Sveres Hall, for Sverre Sigurdsson. During the political debate, a number of female councilors suggested that the smaller hall be named Kristins Hall, for Sigurdsson's daughter Kristina Sverresdotter, which was passed by the city council. Kristin and Håkon would be used to name the mascots for the Olympics. Kristins Hall has had small renovations throughout the years, including an upgrade in 2007 which included new ice hockey sideboards, a new ice machine, a new lighting system, and a new handball floor.
Facilities
The municipally owns and operates venue is located at Stampesletta, about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from the town center of Lillehammer, Norway. With a gross area of 9000 square metres (10,763.9 sq yd), it consists of three main sections: an ice hockey rink, a combined handball and floorball court, and a curling rink. The venue has eight locker rooms, of which two are designed for judges and referees, a weight room, a 100 metres (328.1 ft) long, four-track sprint track, meeting rooms, three kiosks, VIP facilities and a cafeteria. The handball hall has an artificial surface measuring 22 by.The ice rink is certified by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association to hold 3,197 spectators, but can accommodate up to 4,000 people in special circumstances. The cooling and heating systems for Håkons Hall and Kristins Hall are connected, allowing them to function as energy reserves for each other.
Tenants and events
The ice rink is the home ground of Lillehammer IK, which plays in GET-ligaenGET-ligaen
GET-ligaen is the premier Norwegian ice hockey league, organised by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation. The league was known as 1. divisjon until 1990, when it was reorganized and named Eliteserien . That name was held until 2004 when cable TV company UPC became main sponsor...
, the premier ice hockey league in Norway. During the season, they play one to two home games per week, typically attracting a crowd of 1,000 to 1,500 spectators. They inaugurated the arena in December 1988 with a match against Oshaug. The ice rink is also used by the Norwegian College of Elite Sport in Lillehammer and Lillehammer Kunstløpklubb. The handball hall is used by Lillehammer Innebandyklubb and Lillehammerstudentenes IL, while the curling rink is used by Lillehammer Curlingklubb. The venue is owned and operated by Lillehammer Municipality.
The official opening of the venue took place on 12 December 1988, when Norway played West Germany. Kristins Hall held two more Norwegian friendly internationals during the season, before it was host to the B-Group during the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
1989 World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Poland was relegated to Group B.-World Championship Group B :Played in Oslo and Lillehammer March 30th to April 9th. The April 5th game between Norway and Austria was officially adjusted to 8-0 for Norway because of Siegfried Haberl's positive drug test...
. Ten matches were played in Lillehammer, including the opening match between Norway and Japan, while eighteen matches were played in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. During the 1994 Winter Olympics, Kristins Hall was used as a training venue for the ice hockey teams
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1994 Winter Olympics was held at the Fjellhallen in Gjøvik and the Håkons Hall in Lillehammer, Norway. The competition, held from February 12 to February 27, was won by Sweden and Canada as runner-up.-Final rankings:Source:* Gold -...
, which played their matches at Håkons Hall and Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall. During the 1994 Winter Paralympics
1994 Winter Paralympics
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Winter Paralympics, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10–19 March 1994. These Games marked the first time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation...
, Kristins Hall hosted the ice sledge hockey tournament
Ice sledge hockey at the 1994 Winter Paralympics
- Medal summary :- References :...
. Lillehammer is the sole applicant for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. If selected, the plan is for Kristins Hall to be used for curling and ice hockey. This would involve an expansion of the curling rink to satisfy international requirements, including expansion of the spectator capacity.