Steppe Arena

The International Ice Hockey Federation met with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga in 2018 to discuss on the possibility of building an ice rink in Mongolia.[1]

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Steppe Arena on 14 April 2019 was led by Puntsagiin Tsagaan, founder and chairman of the Board of Steppe Arena LLC, and President Battulga.[2] Construction progress amidst the COVID-19 pandemic[1] and later opened in a ceremony led by President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh on 29 September 2021.[3]

In 2018, Steppe Arena LLC launched a project to build an indoor ice hockey rink in country as their first project.[4] They tasked local firm Anagram LLC to work on the architectural plan of the indoor arena[5] and they were aided by the Embassy of Canada in Mongolia who provided connections with architects who were experienced in building similar large-scale sports facility. Steppe Arena LLC signed cooperation memorandums with Canadian firms DA Architecture Limited and HDR | CEI Architecture Associates to help them work on the project allowing the design team to study ice rinks of varying scale in Canada.[4] One of the factors considered in designing the arena is Mongolia's extreme climate, which can get as cold as −40 °C (−40 °F) in the winter and as hot as 40 °C (104 °F) in the summer.[4]

The Mongolian architects who worked on the building preferred a modern design for the arena and did not want to draw inspiration from historical references such as the country's yurts.[6] The structure did incorporate indigenous influence such as Mongolian traditional-style pillars.[7]

The Steppe Arena has a seating capacity of 2,600 and usable area of 7,800 m² (84,000 sq ft). It has five changing rooms for athletes and referees and meeting rooms which can accommodate 80 to 100 people. The ice field inside has a dimension of 60 m × 30 m (197 ft × 98 ft).[3]

• Official website