Davos Ice Stadium

D+H products contribute to modernised fire protection in renovated facility

In the centre of the municipality of Davos, in the Swiss canton of Grisons, there is an ice stadium. The stadium is famous for the Spengler Cup international ice hockey team tournament, which is held here, as well as for its opulent wooden roof construction. The modernisation of part of the interior as well as fire protection requirements both made it necessary to renovate the ice stadium, which was built in 1979. Commissioned by the municipality of Davos, the ice stadium was renovated in stages over three years in the summer months up to 2021. The building has been nicknamed the Ice Palace, not least because of its impressive wooden construction. This meant the roof shape was to be retained. Wood was also used wherever possible as a building material in the renovation of the building. This included extending the stands, renovating the dressing rooms and creating areas for catering, media and administration.

The renovation and planning, carried out by Marques Architekten, was completed in 2021. The Lucerne-based architectural firm was one of the winners in the renovation and addition category at the "best architects 22" awards. The Swiss D+H partner Foppa AG is responsible for implementing part of the fire protection concept. Given the size of the ice stadium, a solution that went beyond natural smoke extraction was a must. The mechanical smoke exhaust (MSE) system included the installation of more than 60 CDC series 230-volt chain drive sets as a special production for large and small windows. The drives are controlled via the D+H ACB bus and can thus be used very efficiently and safely for MSE and natural ventilation as well as to let in daylight. A complete MSE system usually consists of smoke extraction fans, automated intake air openings, smoke extraction flaps or fire dampers, smoke detectors and a control panel, such as the CPS-M1-MSE from D+H. In case of fire, the system responds automatically as soon as smoke emerges. Manual activation is also possible. It was also possible to reduce the line network to a minimum. As a result of this, the roof structure is less weight-loaded, so can potentially cope with a greater snow load in the winter months. After all, in Switzerland one thing is certain: the snow is sure to come.