Continuing the series of profiles of host cities for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, this week moves to Brazil´s wild west and the city of Cuiabá, capital of the state of Mato Grosso (thick bush), just a few hundred kilometres from the Bolivian border in the exact centre of South America.
Built on the banks of the river of the same name, Cuiabá (koo-ya-bah) has a population of around 550,000 and is considered one of the hottest places in Brazil, such that for the 2014 Cup, even in the middle of winter, the heat will be an important factor in matches hosted by the city (just this week the city recorded temperatures in the mid 30s).
Accordingly, the project for the city’s new World Cup stadium includes a special solar powered humidification system to cool the air, while an innovative system of water re-use will reduce consumption by up to 30% and energy consumption up to 20%. Indeed, the stadium, designed by GCP Architects & Stadia Group, has been hailed as the best example of sustainable and environmental design of all twelve host venues, and has even gained LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification.
To be called Arena Cuiabá, the facility has an estimated cost of R$454.2 million and will be built in place of the former José Fragelli stadium (Verdão), which is currently being demolished by the selected construction consortium Santa Bárbara and Mendes Júnior. Formerly managed by the state government, the new complex, with a capacity of 43,000, will be privately managed by means of a concession once completed in December 2012, in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup.
Beyond the football pitch, there will be a wealth of development in the surrounding area, with additional works of around R$1 billion already planned, while the city government has also committed to build two new training centres with a host of warm-up fields.
Cuiabá is also an important tourism launch point for both the beautiful Chapada dos Guimarães mountain range and the famous Pantanal, the largest wetland in the world. The city´s accommodation infrastructure and hospitality services are being upgraded accordingly.
- Be sure to return for our regular profiles of all twelve World Cup 2014 host cities