A football stadium in the Austrian city of Klagenfurt has been turned into a forest after an unusual art installation was revealed there on September 6. The stadium named Woerthersee stadium has a capacity of 32,000 and hosted some of the fixtures of the Euro 2008 tournament. According to the sources, the whole pitch of the stadium has been covered with over 300 trees. The closed installation, entitled 'For Forest' was announced to the media on Thursday which was opened to the general public on Sunday for a few weeks of bucolic wandering.

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Artist behind the idea

The main idea behind the forest was put up by a Swiss artist Klaus Littmann who told the reporters that he wanted to create the image of a forest that they have created in a totally new context. He said the contrast matches very well with the trees, steel, concrete, and glass. He had first suggested the project to city authorities six years ago. Explaining the reason behind converting the stadium into a forest, Littmann said climate change and the recent fires in the Amazon forest are the main concerns that should be dealt with proper environmental measures. Both issues have gained huge prominence in the media.

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Littmann thanked the municipal authorities

The artist thanked the Klagenfurt's municipal authorities for their constant support despite criticism by some locals to convert a stadium into a forest. Some people said that it is an extravagant thing. The stadium will contain 300 varieties of trees like aspen, Oaks, birches, and larches which were grown in nurseries will be moved into the stadium from October 27. The football team of Klagenfurt who plays in Austria's second league will temporarily move to a smaller facility nearby. 

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