“Because the investor commissioned the contract in design & build mode, we provided not only the construction but also the design. From a construction and design point of view, the most complicated part was the same: the installation of the indirect cooling technology and the complicated piping complex under the ice. Colleagues calculated that if the pipeline loops were straightened out, they would reach as far as Soběslav, 20 km away. I’m very pleased that we have managed this challenging section without any delays, and the first visitors will be able to experience the ice following the excitement generated by the Olympic Games,” said project manager Michal Hryzák from Metrostav CZ.
The investment in the second ice rink was triggered by the fact that the existing ice rink was no longer sufficient for local athletes’ needs. The new ice rink boasts a top-quality surface not only for recreational ice hockey, figure skating and skating for the public, but also as the only one in South Bohemia for para ice hockey. Thanks to the folding benches and special adaptation of the boards, para ice hockey players can go directly onto the ice from the benches. Another interesting fact is that the ice will be 60 by 25 metres and meet the parameters for NHL games. The building is completely wheelchair accessible and has eight changing rooms, a warm-up room, facilities for ice hockey and figure skating and a stand for 300 spectators.
“We don't open a building like this every day – not even every year. The story of the second ice rink began to be written in 2021, when we had the first sketch on the table and clear numbers: the interest in the ice was so great that there were often only free windows at the existing ice rink at night,” recalled Tábor Mayor Štěpán Pavlík. He added of the city’s iconic stadium: “Our ice rink has its quality and the city has never neglected it in terms of investment. It’s in shape – it’s just that demand for ice continues to grow.”
He highlighted the sophisticated facilities and economical operation of the new rink: “It's important to be able to calculate not only the construction costs, but also the costs incurred year after year: ice production, cooling, ventilation, heating. By sharing technical facilities and thanks to the photovoltaic power plant, operations also make economic sense.”
Thanks were also expressed to the people who brought the project to its conclusion: “This is the work of many people. Thank you to everyone who kept the funding within safe boundaries, and to those who handled detail after detail. This was a journey made by the team together." And finally, an invitation from the Town of Tabor to the public: “The result is best experienced on skates. Come and enjoy it. For example, every Friday during public skating on the second ice rink.”
The 80 by 33 metre hall consists of a simple precast concrete structure roofed with pre-stressed trusses. Thanks to them, the builders both overcame the wide span and were also able to place photovoltaic panels on the roof. From the technological point of view, it is necessary to highlight the robust cooling system, which, unlike the neighbouring existing stadium, enables year-round operation without the need to melt the ice.
The town of Tábor boasts an ice hockey tradition going back more than a century. The first ice hockey club was founded in 1921 and was called Dělnický sportovní klub (DSK, the Workers’ Sports Club). There was also a military club in the town that competed in the second highest division during the Czechoslovak era. Currently, Tábor’s ice hockey players play in the second division, which is the third highest.
The new ice rink was delivered to Tábor by an association of Metrostav CZ and Památky Tábor for CZK 176.6 million. The project was supported by a subsidy of CZK 110.9 million from the National Sports Agency. The Regional Investment Fund contributed another CZK 28 million. Construction itself began in the autumn of 2024 and was completed earlier this year.
Contact Details
Radim Mana
Metrostav Group Spokesman
Metrostav a.s. Koželužská 2450/4 180 00 Prague 8
T 266 019 715, M 601 110 376
radim.mana@metrostav.cz, www.metrostav.cz
