Ōita Stadium, Multi-purpose sports venue in Ōita, Japan.
Ōita Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Ōita, Japan, with a retractable dome roof and a 9-lane running track around a natural grass pitch. The stands are partly sunken, with two tiers on the main and back sides and one tier on the sides, and the roof's fixed outer part is clad in titanium while the movable central section uses a translucent membrane. The roof opening measures 107 by 71 meters.
Takenaka Corporation built the facility between 1998 and 2001 with a budget of 25 billion yen. The site opened in time for the 2002 FIFA World Cup that Japan and South Korea co-hosted.
The nickname Big Eye, chosen by public competition, comes from the oval opening in the roof, which makes the stadium look like an eye from above. The home end holds the scoreboard, while a large video screen sits above the away stand. A memorial room in the main stand lobby displays materials from the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 National Sports Festival.
The grounds have several entrances that manage visitor flow during large events, along with VIP areas and press boxes. For easy navigation follow the signs to your seating section, since the oval layout can feel different from the outside than from the inside.
The roof design allows natural light to reach the stands while providing shelter, avoiding shadows on the pitch. From a distance the silhouette looks like an open eye, which is why locals call the venue Big Eye.
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