Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex
Encyclopedia
The Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Sports Complex is a complex in the coastal zone of Athens
, Greece
. It consists of two indoor arenas and a beach volleyball
stadium
, and it hosted Handball
, Taekwondo
, and volleyball
events at the 2004 Summer Olympics
. The complex is located in Faliro
, not far from the port of Piraeus
.
The complex consists of the following venues:
The Peace and Friendship Stadium SEF (37°56′32.91"N 23°40′02.27"E), known as S.E.F. after its Greek name (Stadio Erinis & Filias - Greek
: Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας) is an indoor arena located in Faliro
that hosted indoor volleyball
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece.
The arena which was opened in 1985 had previously hosted various major international events, including the Final tournament of the 1987
Men's European Basketball Championships
and preliminary games of the 1998
FIBA
World Basketball Championships
.
Renovations for the Olympics commenced in April 2002 and were completed on June 30, 2004. The new stadium was officially opened on August 11, 2004, shortly before the opening of the games. The venue's current regular seating capacity
is 14,905 seats, while the regular capacity was 17,000 seats before the 2004 Summer Olympics renovation.
However, for home playoff matches of the Olympiacos
basketball club, for which the SEF arena is their regular home court, the seating capacity can be increased to 16,000-17,000 with temporary seating.
(37°56′09.94"N 23°41′27.91"E) is an indoor arena in Faliro
, near Piraeus
, Greece
. It was the site of preliminary matches in handball
and the taekwondo
competition in the 2004 Summer Olympics
at Athens
. The arena was completed on December 20, 2003 and officially opened on August 12, 2004, shortly before the Olympics. The arena seats 8,536, though only 5,800 seats were publicly available during the Olympics.
(as it was before the Olympics) and regularly holds crowds of up to 14,905 fans, especially for Euroleague
basketball games.
In 2008 it was reported that several of the facilities at Faliro have fallen into a state of disrepair, with the venues afflicted by vandalism, graffiti and strewn with rubbish. However, the facilities are all presently in use or in the process of being converted for post-Olympics use, as shown in the table below:
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It consists of two indoor arenas and a beach volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
, and it hosted Handball
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics had a men's and a women's team competitions with the preliminary rounds taking place in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex...
, Taekwondo
Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics were held in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex where 124 competitors competed in eight events, four each for men and women....
, and volleyball
Volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
thumb|right|Indoorthumb|right|BeachVolleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics consisted of indoor volleyball held at the Peace and Friendship Stadium and beach volleyball held at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre, in the southern portion of the Roth Pavilion; both were located at the Faliro Coastal...
events at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. The complex is located in Faliro
Faliro
Faliro is a seaside suburb 8 km southwest of downtown Athens. There are two communities sharing the name: Palaio and Neo Faliro. Palaio Faliro is a municipality, whereas Neo Faliro is part of the town of Piraeus...
, not far from the port of Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
.
The complex consists of the following venues:
Peace and Friendship Stadium
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Στάδιο Ειρήνης και Φιλίας) is an indoor arena located in Faliro
Faliro
Faliro is a seaside suburb 8 km southwest of downtown Athens. There are two communities sharing the name: Palaio and Neo Faliro. Palaio Faliro is a municipality, whereas Neo Faliro is part of the town of Piraeus...
that hosted indoor volleyball
Volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
thumb|right|Indoorthumb|right|BeachVolleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics consisted of indoor volleyball held at the Peace and Friendship Stadium and beach volleyball held at the Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre, in the southern portion of the Roth Pavilion; both were located at the Faliro Coastal...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens, Greece.
The arena which was opened in 1985 had previously hosted various major international events, including the Final tournament of the 1987
Eurobasket 1987
The EuroBasket 1987 was held in Greece between June 3 and June 14, 1987. Twelve national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body...
Men's European Basketball Championships
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
and preliminary games of the 1998
1998 FIBA World Championship
The 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
World Basketball Championships
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
.
Renovations for the Olympics commenced in April 2002 and were completed on June 30, 2004. The new stadium was officially opened on August 11, 2004, shortly before the opening of the games. The venue's current regular seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 14,905 seats, while the regular capacity was 17,000 seats before the 2004 Summer Olympics renovation.
However, for home playoff matches of the Olympiacos
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
basketball club, for which the SEF arena is their regular home court, the seating capacity can be increased to 16,000-17,000 with temporary seating.
Sports Pavilion
The Faliro Sports Pavilion ArenaFaliro Sports Pavilion Arena
The Faliro Sports Pavilion Arena which is part of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex is an indoor arena in Faliro, near Piraeus, Athens, Greece. It is nicknamed "The Little Peace And Friendship Stadium", due to its similarity in design and close proximity to the Peace and Friendship Stadium...
(37°56′09.94"N 23°41′27.91"E) is an indoor arena in Faliro
Faliro
Faliro is a seaside suburb 8 km southwest of downtown Athens. There are two communities sharing the name: Palaio and Neo Faliro. Palaio Faliro is a municipality, whereas Neo Faliro is part of the town of Piraeus...
, near Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It was the site of preliminary matches in handball
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics had a men's and a women's team competitions with the preliminary rounds taking place in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex...
and the taekwondo
Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics were held in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex where 124 competitors competed in eight events, four each for men and women....
competition in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
at Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. The arena was completed on December 20, 2003 and officially opened on August 12, 2004, shortly before the Olympics. The arena seats 8,536, though only 5,800 seats were publicly available during the Olympics.
After the games
The Peace & Friendship Stadium is used by Olympiacos Basketball ClubOlympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
(as it was before the Olympics) and regularly holds crowds of up to 14,905 fans, especially for Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
basketball games.
In 2008 it was reported that several of the facilities at Faliro have fallen into a state of disrepair, with the venues afflicted by vandalism, graffiti and strewn with rubbish. However, the facilities are all presently in use or in the process of being converted for post-Olympics use, as shown in the table below:
| Facility | Olympics Use | Current/Proposed Use |
|---|---|---|
| Faliro Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre Faliro Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre The Faliro Olympic Beach Volleyball Centre is a stadium in the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex that hosted the beach volleyball competition for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The stadium holds a total of 9,600 individuals, though the public seating capacity is limited to 7,300... |
Beach Volleyball | Concert and theater venue, plans to turn it into an ultra-modern outdoor theater |
| Faliro Sports Pavilion | Handball, Taekwondo | Converted to the Athens International Convention Center, hosts concerts, conventions and trade shows |
| Peace and Friendship Stadium Peace and Friendship Stadium The Stadio Eirinis kai Filias , known as S.E.F., is a multi-use indoor sports arena that is located in Faliro, Piraeus, Athens, Greece. It is the central venue of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex and is mostly known for being the long-time home court of the famous Euroleague basketball club... |
Volleyball | Home court for Olympiacos BC Olympiacos BC Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions... (basketball), Concerts, Conventions and trade shows |