Fifa's 2010 HQ up and running
5 February 2007
Safa House, the Johannesburg headquarters of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, has been completed and the keys handed over to its new owners, the South African Football Association (Safa).
Costing R60-million, the new state-of-the-art facility at the FNB stadium - the flagship venue of the 2010 World Cup - was officially handed over to the association by construction company Phumelela Africa on 31 January.
Safa will, however, have to wait a little longer before they take up residence in their new base, which is set to serve another purpose in the build-up to 2010.
That will involve bringing together under one roof the "machinery" of South Africa 2010: the local organising committee (LOC), Fifa South Africa office and Fifa ticketing and accommodation entity MATCH, all of whom moved in on Friday and were due to start operating from their new premises on Monday.
Situated on the eastern side of the stadium - also known as Soccer City - the complex has 100 offices, a canteen, a bar and three breakaway meeting rooms that can be converted into one huge hall, depending on the size of the gathering.
Designed by South African firms Boogertman and Partners and Urban Edge Architects, it is to be a technologically "smart" development built on environmentally sound principles.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Danny Jordaan, the LOC chief executive officer, said Safa's new home would leave a lasting legacy beyond the World Cup. "This is the first 2010 project that we unveil today; football has delivered what it has promised.
"This is a clear indication that the 2010 World Cup will be a successful one, irrespective of what people say," Jordaan said. "This headquarters is probably among the best in the world."
Immediately after the 2010 World Cup, Safa House will become the headquarters of Safa and the country's Premier Soccer League (PSL). It will also host the Safa Academy, a training facility for elite level referees, coaches and administrators.
The most outstanding feature of the structure is the spectacular 16-metre football-shaped roof of the main entrance hall. The dome will be well-lit at night and visible from the air and the ground as a defining landmark for the city of Johannesburg.
"The dome will feature a breathtaking triple-volume entrance and will serve as a museum charting the history of South African football while showing football movies in a special 'pod' at the centre of the hall," Fifa said in a statement last year.
SouthAfrica.info reporter and City of Johannesburg
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