PostFinance-Arena, Indoor ice rink and arena in Bern, Switzerland
The PostFinance-Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena in Bern with a capacity of 17,031 spectators. Its main roof consists of glued-laminated timber arches tied by steel tension members, with a maximum span of 85 metres. The interior is dominated by a steep standing terrace, and the outer shell is clad in cube-like elements that can be illuminated at night.
The Eisstadion Allmend opened in October 1967 and received a roof in 1970. It was renamed BernArena and, after a CHF 105 million renovation by HRS Hauser Rutishauser Suter AG completed for the 2009 IIHF World Championships, took the name PostFinance-Arena from sponsor PostFinance, a subsidiary of the Swiss Post, in 2007. In early January 2025 the partners agreed to extend the naming rights until the end of the 2026/27 season.
Fans call the steep standing terrace "die Wand" (the Wall); it holds 11,396 standing places, while the arena's general-admission grandstand is the world's largest in an ice hockey arena. The SC Bern averages over 16,000 spectators per game, a European record.
The arena sits on the Allmend in Bern, and the steep standing ramp is reached by its own entrances, so fans arriving early get the lower steps. The five-storey extension holds restaurants and the media area, and in winter part of the ground-level space between the curling hall and the arena opens as a public ice rink; in summer that same area hosts events.
During the 2008/2009 season, the arena established a European attendance record with an average of 16,203 spectators per ice hockey game.
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