The next challenge for the U.S. World Cup team will be the mighty German squad, a critical game that will be played at the Arena Pernambuco – a newly built stadium near Recife, a coastal city in Brazil, which is a state capital and the country’s fifth largest metropolitan area. A city of islands, reefs that provide its name, and over 50 bridges in the city center, Recife is known as the “Brazilian Venice.”
The area is also well known for its soccer fanaticism, with three well supported teams playing in the local area–Sporting Club do Recife, Santa Cruz do Recife, and Club Nautico Capibaribe–the latter, among the oldest clubs in Brazil (founded 1901), is part owner of the new stadium, and will play all their home games in the stadium after the World Cup.
The 46,000-seat Pernambuco was designed by the Brazilian firm Fernandes Arquitetos Associados, who have also done design work on the renovation of the stadium for this year’s World Cup final, the Estadio de Maracana. The Pernambuco is outfitted with all the modern conveniences for fans, including 13 escalators to whisk fans to and from their seats–102 luxury boxes and 800 indoor parking spots for VIPs–and two 800-square-foot HD screens, the same model used in Cowboys Stadium.
In keeping with a consistent theme of many of the new World Cup Stadiums, the Pernambuco is also environmentally green. Unique among Brazilian stadiums, a partnership between Odebrecht Energia and Neoenergia developed a solar power plant adjacent to the stadium to provide power for all events. The photovoltaic technology can also be utilized for general consumer energy at other times, enough to provide for the average power consumption needs of 6,000 Brazilians.
In addition to the stadium, a “World Cup City” development is also part of the long term plan for the arena and environs. The 600 acre parcel will be developed with 4,500 homes, an indoor arena, a university campus, retail and hotels. The project, estimated completion date 2024, will employ an estimated 10,000 locals during the first stage of construction.
The American team will come to the Arena Pernambuco needing a strong performance against the heavily favored Germans. Recife, home of great soccer fans and tradition, and now a great stadium, should be treated to an epic World Cup clash.