Arena das Dunas, Football stadium in Lagoa Nova, Natal, Brazil
The Arena das Dunas is a football stadium in Lagoa Nova featuring a modern design based on twenty petal-shaped modules that work together for natural ventilation. This structure provides shade and allows air to flow throughout the venue.
The venue opened in 2014 as a replacement for the older Machadão stadium and served as a major site for World Cup matches that same year. This construction marked a significant moment for sports in Natal.
The stadium's name comes from the dunes of Rio Grande do Norte, which inspired Populous's design; the architect was Christopher Lee. Its official name honours Marinho Chagas, the Natal-born Brazil left-back of the 1974 World Cup. The first match, on 26 January 2014, was a double header: América-RN 2–0 Confiança and ABC 2–0 Alecrim.
The seating area normally holds about 31,375 spectators but can expand to around 42,000 for larger events. Visitors should check ahead to understand which sections will be open for their visit.
The stadium was the last of the twelve 2014 World Cup venues to begin construction, on 15 August 2011. Its roof is split into separate white curved panels that radiate around the oval and sweep down toward the field, separated by narrow gaps.
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