Zug, 19.06.2019

Largest temporary arena in the world currently being set up for national Swiss-wrestling tournament

 

The largest temporary arena in the world is currently being built in preparation for the National Swiss-Wrestling and Alpine Festival, which is to take place in the canton between 23-25 August this year.

 

 

Indeed, no fewer than 300,000 individual parts are to be put together in this huge logistical operation which will take three months to complete prior to it being dismantled within three weeks afterwards.

 

Those deployed to set up this 56,500-seat arena are for the most part members, both men and women, of the Swiss army, contributing 4,200 days of work as the Civil Defence Corps will also be helping to the tune of 4,600 days, all under the command of Walter Lötscher.

 

The individual stands will also be set up by the Swiss army, this time under the direction of employees of the Nüssli AG company of Hüttwilen in the canton of Thurgovia, specialists in the construction of temporary buildings. What is more, as Peter Tanner, who is responsible for the erection of such grandstands at the company, said, he was quite used to working with the military in this way and overseeing their work, adding, reassuringly, how safety would be of utmost importance, and at all times. Naturally, any lengthy period of heavy rain during the construction period could hamper progress, but there was no doubt it would be ready on time.

 

Anyone who would like to watch as construction progresses on the site to the north of the Herti district is welcome, though naturally they need to keep their distance.

 

Prior to all this construction, measures were undertaken to ensure drainage functioned, Lötscher pleased to be able to report that, following recent heavy downpours, the water drained off, as planned, into the River Lorze.

 

As mentioned, while it will take three months to set it all up, it will take only three weeks to dismantle everything, one reason being that the infrastructure is required elsewhere, as Lötscher explained. Once this dismantling of the infrastructure is complete, the site will be returned to agricultural use.