• City:Manaus
• Capacity:42,374
• Year Built:2013
• Average June Temperature: 27C (celsius)
Situated in Manaus, northern Brazil, the Arena Amazonia is located just five kilometres from the Rio Negro tributary of the Amazon river, deep in the rain forest. Work started on the stadium in early 2011, on the site of the former Estadio Vivaldao, which was demolished in March 2010.
Originally due to be completed in December 2013 the project was beset by delays, with construction also overshadowed by the death of three workers.
Back in December, two construction workers died on the site just hours apart after one fell from a height of around 35 metres and a second suffered a heart attack. A third man was killed after being hit by a crane in February.
The purpose-built stadium is enclosed by a metal structure, the design of which is intended to resemble a traditional indigenous straw basket, famous in the region. The arena will host four group-stage matches at the World Cup – the high-profile Group D clash between England and Italy, as well as the Group A clash between Cameroon and Croatia, USA v Portugal in Group G and Honduras’ match with Switzerland in Group E.
It has been built with sustainability in mind, with Amazon rainwater set to be collected for use in the stadium’s sanitation system and to water the pitch, while solar energy will help to power the associated facilities.
After World Cup 2014, the stadium will be used by a number of local Brazilian sides, including Nacional of Serie D. Click below for a view of the stadium courtesy of Google Maps.
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