Gottardo Arena
Ambrì, Switzerland
Formerly: Nuova Valascia
The new building sits on the edge of the airfield. It replaced the old Valascia stadium, which had to go after the avalanche risk made renovation impossible. The working name during construction was Nuova Valascia, but it is now the Gottardo Arena . Designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, it opened in September 2021 with a clear purpose: to house Hockey Club Ambrì-Piotta.
Unlike the wooden stands of the past, the interior is dominated by artificial ice, maintained by mechanical refrigeration systems. It is a facility built for the Swiss National League. The capacity is 6,775 seats. When the club played its first official game there against Fribourg-Gotteron, they won 6-2. The venue is situated at Via Aerodromo 2, a location that keeps it tethered to the old aerodrome site from which it draws its street name.
Ownership rests with Valascia Immobiliare SA, which oversaw the project under the management of Raul Reali.