It’s a revolution in German Bundesliga sports: With the opening of the new BallsportArena in Dresden on May 21st/22nd, major games and tournaments in handball, basketball and volleyball will be presented on the futuristic ASB Multisports for the first time. Sportspros, VIPs, music stars and high-ranking politicians such as Saxony’s governor Stanislaw Tillich and about 4’500 visitors celebrated the spectacular opening ceremony for two days. The basketball show of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters and a concert of German band “Frida Gold” were two outstanding highlights among the colourful entertainment program of sports, music and dance.
Most of the visitors were mesmerized by the futuristic look of the blue glass floor with its white glowing LED lines. “Absolutely innovative”, one of the visitors commented with enthusiasm. Barry Hardy, coach of the Globetrotters, said: “We all love the floor!”. This 2’000 m2 floor is the most advanced flooring system in the world and the biggest ASB MultiSports installed so far. Up to 4’000 spectators will cheer for the handball players of 2nd Bundesliga team HC Elbflorenz.
The blue floor is made from tempered safety glass and can withstand enormous impact. The surface of the glass undergoes several special treatments to achieve ideal elasticity, friction and reflection of light. The material is in fact 2.4 times more elastic under human weight than a comparable hard wood board. The floor is certified according to the international standard for sports floors, EN 14904, as well as the German standard DIN V 18032-2 and EN 14904 for its grip. The players of HC Elbflorenz are also very happy with the reduced risk of severe injuries and the joint-friendly characteristics compared to a traditional wooden floor.
330 panels each weighing 180 kg make up the floor and were laid during the construction of the BallsportArena. All of these panels are made from 2 specially treated glass panels held together by a 1.2 mm PVB safety layer. The height-adjustable aluminium substructure consists of a grid of double swing beams on pillars. It also includes an underfloor heating system.
For the different marking lines about 2.5 kilometers of LED strips, embedded in engineered light channels, were laid. In the new sports arena four different kinds of ball sports can be played: handball, basketball, volleyball and badminton, also in different combinations. The installation of the ASB MultiSports only needed 30 days to be completed. Due to its durability and low maintenance it can also be used for highly frequented events and parties.