Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall

Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall, which hosted ice hockey, is the world's largest underground auditorium: it is located 120 metres inside a mountain, with around 55 metres of bedrock above it.

Gjøvik Olympic Cavern Hall
© 2016 / International Olympic Committee (IOC) / RUTAR, Ubald - All rights reserved / The Gjovik Olympic Cavern Hall during the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

The construction had the obvious advantage of not taking up town centre property space or interfering with the local landscape. Heating costs and energy are also reduced thanks to the fact that the venue is located underground. It is also Eco-Lighthouse certified.

The venue has been used for short track speed skating championships (1995), stages of the European Women’s Handball Championships (1999) and the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. The ice rink is open to the public most days of the year.