Baku Completes The Crystal Hall

While I try and get to the end of the college year, the blog has become a little quieter than usual. I am sorry about this but I will make up for it as Eurovision nears [and exams are over].

Today we learned that Baku has now completed the Crystal Hall and Azerbaijan have now started to reveal plans about how Eurovision will operate. A press conference was held today in Azerbaijan about most the completion of the hall. They also mentioned that buses will be the main mode of transport, and each delegation will have no less than two buses each available to them 24 hours per day.

SVT have also started their preview shows, looking at the first nine songs of semi 1. Full results are here. Some of the votes are interesting, particularly Finlands high score.

Structural Problems With The Crystal Arena?

As reported by ESCDaily problems have been found in the construction of the Crystal Hall in Baku. The faults largely lie in the glass of the arena. It is though that the amplification systems needed for the songs in the Crystal Arena could actually shatter the glass. A friend of mine studying Engineering said that being located so close to water puts the structure in danger with high vibrations from an amplification system.

Azerbaijan explained to the they have low building safety standards and really don't see what the problem is 75% of all structures in Baku completed in the last 10 years are still reasonably sound. The EBU is unhappy about this.

It is understood that further tests will be carried out but it is rumored that the EBU have alerted Rome to prepare contingency plans in the event of an emergency. It is understood Rome simply said that the same plans from 1991 will be good in 2012.