Sportpaleis Merksem
| Sportpaleis | |
 |
|
| Location | Antwerp, Belgium |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°13′52″N 4°26′28″E / 51.23111°N 4.44111°E |
| Owner | Province of Antwerp |
| Operator | nv Antwerps Sportpaleis |
| Capacity | 23,359 (maximum capacity) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1932 |
| Built | 1933 |
| Opened | September 11, 1933 |
| Renovated | 2010-2013 |
| Expanded | 2013 |
The Antwerps Sportpaleis (Antwerp's Sport Palace), also called Sportpaleis Antwerpen, Sportpaleis Merksem or simply the Sportpaleis, is an arena in Antwerp, Belgium. It is a multipurpose hall where concerts, sporting events, festivals and fairs are organized. The arena was built for sport, especially track cycling, but there is now little sport there, an exception being the Diamond Games tennis.
According to Billboard Magazine, the Sportpaleis is the second most visited event hall in the world, second only to Madison Square Garden. The Sportpaleis is known for performances by both Dutch-speaking and international artists. It also hosts the Nekka-Nacht, the Proximus Diamond Games tennis tournament for women and Pop Poll De Luxe, organised by the magazine HUMO.
The main building is 88 metres wide and 132 metres long and has a roof spanning 11.600 m². Under the stands, there is a wooden cycling track 250 meters long and 8 meters wide. The arena is elliptical and has two floors.
Next to the Sportpaleis is its sister venue the Lotto Arena, a hall that can accommodate 8,000 spectators.
Building started on 11 January 1932. It lasted 21 months: on 11 September 1933, the building was completed, the largest indoor arena in Europe. The Sportpaleis was built by the The Apostel-Mampaey family from Boom. They were internationally renowned velodrome builders from 1907 up until the Second World War. The velodrome builders of Boom were very much in demand. They built tracks in Gentbrugge (1911), Wilrijk ‘Garden City’ (1916), Nice and Marseille (1920), Ostend (1921-1946), Brussel-Heizel (1932) and Oudenaarde (1933). The famous ‘Kuipke’ in Ghent (1922) and the even more famous Sportpaleis in Deurne (1933). In 2008 a book "De velodroombouwers Apostel-Mampaey" was published.
On 29 September 1956, road cycling world champion Stan Ockers died a few days after a crash in his 116th performance at the track.
On 19 November 1988, Roy Orbison gave his last performance in Europe at the Sportpaleis.
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