Stade de Tizi Ouzou – design description

How did the project for a new stadium in Tizi Ouzou come about?

The construction of a new stadium for JS Kabylie was promised as early as 2000, after the team's triumph in the CAF Cup, by the country's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. However, the realisation had to wait a little longer. The site for the facility was selected in Boukhalfa, in the north-western suburb of Tizi Ouzou. The design of the stadium was entrusted to Dune Architecture of Algiers.

JS Kabylie (JSK, 'Canaris') is the most successful football club in Algeria. The team was founded in 1946 and its first venue was the Stade Oukil-Ramdane. In 1978, the Stade du 1er Novembre 1954 was opened, where the team still plays today. The venue, close to the city centre, can hold around 20,000 spectators, but has an athletics track and the stands are mostly uncovered and have no seats.

What does the design of the new stadium in Tizi Ouzou involve?

The initial plan was to build a stadium for 40,000 spectators, but it was eventually decided to increase the size of the facility to over 50,000 seats. The arena is to have a football-specific, rectangular layout, with covered, two-storey stands (and a narrow central tier) around the pitch. The facility will be equipped with a range of amenities, including VIP boxes, media rooms, restaurants and a museum. There will also be a stadium with an athletics track and stand for 6,000 spectators, as well as numerous car parks.

How is the construction of the new stadium for JS Kabylie progressing?

You can follow coverage of the development on our construction page of the new stadium in Tizi Ouzou

The construction, funded by government resources, started in May 2010 and was expected to be completed after 2.5 years. However, work progressed quite slowly and subsequent commissioning dates were postponed. In 2014, there was a change of one of the two main contractors when the Spanish FCC was replaced by the Turkish Mapa İnşaat. In May 2019, construction was completely halted, with a stage of completion estimated at 80-85%. Work resumed in April 2022 and the stadium is expected to open in June 2023, according to the latest information.