As one of the host stadiums for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2021 Euro Football Championship, the Gazprom Arena must also satisfy the strict security regulations of FIFA, UEFA and ESSMA.

The objective was providing coverage with video security technology for the entire area surrounding the stadium, the entrance gate approaches, the rooms below grand stands, and the grand stands themselves in one of the largest video security projects ever undertaken in a football stadium. Under enormous time pressure, a high-performance system had to be implemented in the stadium with a capacity of 60,000 fans and yet had to remain adaptable and flexible in response to changing customer wishes as the project progressed.

Traceability of offenders through minimum resolution throughout the terrace area

One requirement which from time to time presented the greatest challenge was capturing all areas of all the grand stands all of the time, so that unequivocal identification of offenders could be assured in all circumstances. In order to achieve this, the Russian Interior Ministry stipulated two key requirements for the video security system: Firstly, it must capture the entire grand stand area with a "minimum resolution density" of 250 pixels per metre (px/m). This also corresponds to the performance criterion defined in the globally valid standard DIN EN 62676-4 for video security systems for purposes of enabling identification of an unknown person. And secondly, the image frequency must not fall below a frame rate of 25 frames per second (fps). Because it is typically only the combination of the specified minimum resolution density and a fluid representation of events that can ensure incontestable evidence that is usable in a court of law.

In order to meet these stringent requirements, the security managers invited a number of vendors to present their solutions in advance at Zenit's former home ground – the Petrovsky Stadium – to enable them to choose the right solution for the Gazprom Arena. A Dallmeier video security system has already been operating in the Petrovsky Stadium since 2012, and after a thorough evaluation of all the solutions, the operators decided to install a stadium solution from Dallmeier in the Gazprom Arena as well.

Because compared with conventional camera technologies such as megapixel or PTZ cameras for example, the Panomera multifocal-sensor system from Dallmeier offers guaranteed coverage of even the largest expanses with the stipulated minimum resolution density and frame rate. And Panomera systems continuously capture everything that is happening in full resolution and allow high-resolution zooms – both live and in the recording and by several operators at the same time. This enables stadium operators to track and reconstruct relevant occurrences in detail both live and after the fact.

3D planning process assures efficient operation

The Dallmeier stadium solution was designed using the Dallmeier innovative 3D planning approach, with which a digital reproduction of the Gazprom Arena was created. This makes it very easy to fulfil the requirement according to which at least 250 px/m must be assured literally "in every last corner": colour coding in the 3D simulation makes it possible to see exactly where the value has been reached and where a correction should be made, perhaps by setting up in a another position or using a different camera model.

Dallmeier assisted throughout the project, including testing by the state technical personnel in Russia, which was also successful in the subsequent project phases, with the result that the stadium operators were able to begin operating the video security system after final project commissioning in good time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Today, over 1,000 single-sensor cameras have been installed in the Gazprom Arena in addition to the Panomera systems – these safeguard the remaining areas of the stadium. Due to the large number of cameras, the total storage capacity for the video security system amounts to more than six petabytes (equivalent to about 6,000 TB). High-performance recording appliances from Dallmeier are used to process this information. Authorised personnel from various departments and stakeholders can access the system at 80 workstations.

According to Dallmeier, the video security system has provided ample evidence of its performance capabilities and reliability in the running of the Gazprom Arena, not least during the seven matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

On this subject, Karlheinz Biersack, Director Sales Eastern Europe/RUS/GUS at Dallmeier explains: "Of course we were delighted that the security managers of Zenit St. Petersburg also decided to rely on Dallmeier again for their new home, the Gazprom Arena. This success in the largest stadium project we have ever undertaken shows once again that Dallmeier's holistic security and solution approach – above all the patented Panomera technology and our unrivalled project and consulting services represent an immense benefit for our customers."