discarded because of the renting cost. Upgrades to Jordal were estimated to cost NOK 25 million and the upgrades were passed by the municipal council in November 1997. The upgrades included four new locker rooms, new seats, upgrades to the technical equipment, a new vestibule, new entrances, better toilets and concessions and the construction of luxury boxes. Construction was heavily delayed; while it was intended to be completed on 8 October 1998, it was finished only days before the opening of the World Championships in May 1999. Facilities Being located on the site of an old brickyard, the architecture took advantage of the hillside and dug the venue deep into the hill. This also resulted in the venue having a highly asymmetric shape, with tall spectator stands on the one side and nearly none on the other. The arena had a capacity for 4,450 spectators, of which 3,078 could be seated. It also featured nine luxury suites. The asymmetrical shape and retrofitted roof gave the arena several undesirable traits. The construction of the roof contributed to poor ice quality. During its final years, it was also considered severely outdated. The stands were known to be steep, diminishing accessibility, complicating logistics and hampering even able-bodied spectators. Jordal Amfi was part of Jordal Idrettspark, a municipal multi-sports complex in the Oslo neighborhood of Jordal. Events The ice rink was primarily known as the home venue of Vålerenga Ishockey, the ice hockey division of Vålerengens IF. The venue was also used by Vålerenga Ishockey's academy teams. Other Oslo-based clubs also used Jordal as a home arena for shorter periods during the 20th century. Jordal was one of five venues used for ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics, along with Dælenenga, Marienlyst, Lillestrøm and Kadettangen. Of 37 matches, 23 were played at Jordal between 15 and 25 February. They were organized as a round-robin tournament with nine participating teams. It doubled as an Ice Hockey World Championships and a European Ice Hockey Championship. The tournament was won by the Edmonton Mercurys, which represented Canada. The figure skating training was originally planned at Jordal Amfi, but was instead moved to Jordal Stadion, to allow the participants to train on natural rather than artificial ice. The arena as hosted the World Ice Hockey Championships three times. The first, in 1958, consisted of an eight-team round-robin tournament with all games held at Jordal between 28 February