Poland’s most famous stadium, Śląski Stadium (Silesian Stadium) in Chorzów, has undergone a complete rebuild to become one of the most modern football and sporting facilities in Europe. 

The original stadium, opened in 1956, was a symbol of Poland's post-war rebirth. It has held some of football’s most important and memorable matches, played by legends of the sport including Johan Cruyff, George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo. It has also hosted massive concerts by bands like U2, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and The Rolling Stones. In 1993 the stadium became the official home of the Polish national football team.

The rebuild of Śląski Stadium has been a long and sometimes difficult project. Started in 2009, the new 43,000 square metre roof proved the biggest hurdle and its partial collapse during construction lead to long delays and a re-design. Despite the problems and additional costs, the national importance of the venue ensured the project would succeed and it was finally completed in late 2017.

In addition to the new roof, the modernization has included new stands, lighting, video screens and sound systems. Other facilities include a restaurant, food vendors and VIP boxes, and the stadium’s original speedway track has been replaced with a traditional track that allows it to host international athletic events. 

An initial system design was put together by Dr. Piotr Kozłowski of Wrocław-based Acoustic Laboratory Pracownia Akustyczna, who subsequently approached Polish distributor Tommex to begin the process of equipment selection. Local company NOMA2 was brought in to carry out the detailed installation work under the guidance of its manager, Janusz Konopka.

Measurements determined the specification, which included an STIPA speech intelligibility of not less than 0.45 in an empty stadium. With a bandwidth of 60Hz to 16kHz, the system was required to deliver 105dB at the stands and 95dB on the playing field, each exceeding the estimated level of the fans by 10dB.

All of the sound systems at Śląski Stadium are fully integrated with the audio warning system, which, if necessary, can take full priority and use the sound system for more efficient crowd control and evacuation of fans in the event of an emergency.