Weltklasse at Zurich Central Station
As part of Weltklasse Zürich, the Wannerhalle at Zurich Main Station was once again transformed into a temporary sports arena for some of the world’s best female pole vaulters. As the technical service provider, we were responsible for key aspects of the audiovisual set-up and supported the project from the preparatory stages through to the set-up and the competition itself.
At Weltklasse Zürich in late August, the world’s best women pole vaulters competed against one another. We had the privilege of providing technical support for this sporting highlight.
An event of this magnitude, held in the heart of one of Switzerland’s busiest train stations, presents unique challenges in terms of technology, planning, and logistics. For the sound system, we equipped the entire event area and extended it into the station concourse. In addition to microphones for the arena announcers and experts—including in-ear systems—we integrated numerous audio sources for the competition. These included athlete tracks, advertising content, and national and international program feeds. At the same time, we ensured the transmission of various audio signals to SRF. An intercom system connected to SRF supported communication and coordination during the competition.
To provide visual coverage of the sporting event, we installed two LED screens measuring 6.50 × 4.00 meters and 5.00 × 3.00 meters. Through our video control room, we processed and played back various content, such as advertisements, beauty shots, and national and international feeds from SRF and SRG .
The lighting also had to meet the requirements of both the live event and the TV production. To this end, we provided television-quality arena lighting across the entire competition area and ensured appropriate lighting for the VIP grandstand and the spectator area. In addition, we were responsible for the Vaudoise VIP zone grandstand and for stage platforms beneath the diving platform.
One of the biggest challenges was coordinating the numerous stakeholders and trades, as well as managing the complex logistics while the train station remained in operation. Consequently, every step of the process had to be planned with precision and carefully coordinated. Work on the roof began during the night from Sunday to Monday. Starting Monday afternoon, the control room was set up and work on the ground began. On Tuesday, the national pole vault meet took place first, followed by the Weltklasse Zürich competition on Wednesday. Immediately after the event ended, dismantling began at 8:00 p.m. and was completed by 5:00 a.m. the next morning.
Thanks to careful planning, close coordination among all parties involved, and a comprehensive technical infrastructure, a temporary sports arena was created right in the heart of Zurich’s main train station, where top-level international sports, a live audience, and TV production came together. We would like to thank Weltklasse Zürich, as well as all partners and participants, for their trust and successful collaboration.
