Stadion Ruchu Chorzów – design description

What does the new Ruch Chorzów stadium project look like in brief?

The new stadium for Ruch Chorzów has been a hot topic for years, especially during the city’s mayoral election campaigns. However, repeated announcements turned into unfulfilled promises, while the old stadium on Cicha Street increasingly failed to match the status of a team that has won 14 Polish championships.

The situation became particularly urgent at the beginning of 2023, when the existing stadium was closed after structural damage was discovered on one of the floodlight masts. Ruch was forced to relocate, first to Gliwice and later to the Silesian Stadium.

In 2024, Szymon Michałek, a strong supporter of the new stadium, became the mayor of Chorzów. In the following months, preparations for the project accelerated significantly. In the summer of 2025, the nearly 90-year-old stadium was bid farewell and demolition began, while a new architectural concept was unveiled at the end of the year.

The new vision is more ambitious than previous plans. It envisions a modern football arena with a capacity of 22,000, featuring a club museum, commercial facilities, and contemporary amenities. A distinctive feature of the stadium will be its striking facade, with arched pillars inspired by Ruch Chorzów’s club crest.

The stadium is planned to be built in stages, so the city can carry the investment on its own if external funding is not available. Such support was promised by the government, including Prime Minister Morawiecki himself, but following a change in government, the new authorities withdrew their backing.

How did the new Ruch Chorzów stadium project come about?

Why does Ruch Chorzów need a new stadium?

What is Ruch Chorzów?

Ruch Chorzów is one of the most successful football clubs in Poland. The club was founded in 1920 and has won 14 national championships, although the last title dates back to the 1988/89 season. Ruch also has one of the largest fan bases in the region (alongside Górnik Zabrze), with supporter clubs spread across Upper Silesia.

What was Ruch Chorzów’s previous stadium like?

Since 1935, Ruch’s home stadium was located on Cicha Street. At the time of its construction, it was considered one of the most modern stadiums in the country. However, after nearly 90 years, it had become clearly outdated, especially following Poland’s so-called “stadium boom,” when many new, modern football arenas were built.

Should Ruch Chorzów permanently move to the Silesian Stadium?

Chorzów is home to the large and modern Silesian Stadium, leading some to suggest that this should become Ruch’s permanent home. In practice, however, it is too large for the club’s day-to-day needs. Moreover, it is not a dedicated football stadium – the presence of an athletics track pushes the stands far from the pitch.

When was Ruch Chorzów’s old stadium closed?

At the beginning of 2023, inspectors discovered cracks in the base of one of the floodlight masts at the stadium on Cicha Street. Due to the scale of the risk, the entire stadium was ordered closed. The damaged mast was dismantled at the end of January 2023, and the remaining masts were removed in early April 2023.

Without lighting, the stadium no longer met licensing requirements. As a result, Ruch first moved to Piast Gliwice’s stadium and, in October 2023, to the Silesian Stadium. The mast failures and their removal were factors that further accelerated the decision to demolish the old stadium and build a new one.

When did the first plans for a new Ruch Chorzów stadium appear?

As early as June 2007, the then-mayor of Chorzów, Marek Kopel, presented a concept for a phased reconstruction of the stadium on Cicha Street at a meeting with fans. The design, prepared by architect Janusz Bocianowski, envisaged four new stands with a total capacity of 18,000 spectators. The estimated cost of the reconstruction ranged from 50 to 80 million PLN.

That project was never realized, although it was even mentioned in the context of Euro 2012 – as a possible support venue for the Silesian Stadium, should it have hosted tournament matches.

The stadium reconstruction was also promised by the new mayor, Andrzej Kotala, elected in 2010. By 2013, a new stadium design for Ruch had been selected through an international competition, but the vision could not be implemented in the following years.

Kotala became known for his (unfulfilled) stadium promises, which were a key point in successive election campaigns – he was re-elected in 2014 and 2018 and remained in office until 2024.

Even Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki joined the debate over the new stadium, pledging in October 2023 nearly 104 million PLN in central government funds. However, after a change in government, the new authorities were not willing to commit to such spending.

How did the election of a new mayor in 2024 affect the Ruch Chorzów stadium project?

In 2024, Szymon Michałek, a community activist closely connected with Ruch Chorzów supporters, became the new mayor of the city. He is a strong advocate for building a new stadium and took immediate steps toward making the project a reality upon assuming office.

The new mayor also considered the 2013 stadium project – which envisioned a capacity of 12–16,000 spectators – too modest for one of Upper Silesia’s best-known and most successful clubs. Consequently, that concept was ultimately abandoned.

When was the decision made to build a new Ruch Chorzów stadium?

On 17 December 2024, the City Council approved the 2025 budget, allocating over 36.2 million PLN for work related to the new stadium. This amount was intended to cover the demolition of the old stadium and the preparation of design documentation, and potentially the start of preliminary construction work.

According to the city’s long-term financial forecast, a total of more than 408 million PLN is planned to be transferred from the municipal budget for the stadium project by 2040. This ensures that the city can carry the investment even in the absence of external funding.

When was Ruch Chorzów’s old stadium bid farewell?

The official farewell to the stadium on Cicha Street took place on 28 June 2025, a few months before its 90th anniversary. The highlight of the event was a friendly match between Ruch and Warta Poznań, which ended 0–0. The choice of Warta Poznań was deliberate, as Ruch had inaugurated its stadium with this very opponent back in 1935.

Shortly before the farewell match, initial demolition work had already begun, including the removal of a section of the roof considered a safety hazard. After the official farewell, the rest of the roof was dismantled. In the following months, demolition continued on the main stand and parts of the other stands.

When was the new Ruch Chorzów stadium concept developed?

In the summer of 2024, shortly after the new mayor took office, the city began collaborating with the Warsaw-based firm LAP Studio – Architekci to work on a new vision for the stadium.

A formal contract to develop the architectural concept was signed with the firm in early July 2025. The concept was completed by the end of 2025, and its official presentation took place on 15 December 2025 at the Chorzów Cultural Center.

What are the key assumptions of the new Ruch Chorzów stadium concept?

The main goal of the plan is to build a completely new stadium on the site of the existing facility on Cicha Street. The new stadium will be a dedicated football arena with a capacity of 22,000 spectators and will meet UEFA Category III requirements.

The pitch of the new arena will be rotated approximately 90 degrees compared to the previous stadium, so that it runs along the Drogowa Trasa Średnicowa (DTŚ). This change in orientation will allow for better use of the space around the stadium, although it will also place the main stand on the south side, rather than the west side, which would have been the most optimal location.

How will the interior of the new Ruch Chorzów stadium look?

The stands along the sides of the pitch will have two tiers, while the stands behind the goals will be single-tiered. To ensure better visibility, the first rows of seating will be elevated above pitch level. Four service entrances are planned in the corners for stadium operations, ambulances, and pitch maintenance.

All seating areas will be covered by a roof, with sections closest to the pitch glazed to allow natural light onto the playing surface. Floodlights will be mounted along the edges of the roof.

What facilities will be located under the stands of the new Ruch Chorzów stadium?

Under the main stand, there will be VIP areas, club facilities, and the necessary infrastructure to host events and maintain the stadium, including player locker rooms, media rooms, and a conference hall.

Spaces under the other stands will be used for commercial purposes, such as shops, restaurants, and service outlets. The stadium will also house a Ruch Chorzów museum.

How will the exterior of the new Ruch Chorzów stadium look?

A distinctive feature of the stadium’s facade will be reinforced concrete pillars forming a rhythmic sequence of pointed arches inspired by the shape of Ruch Chorzów’s club crest. Between the pillars, a steel mesh facade will be stretched, on which colorful images and animations will be displayed at night.

What will the surroundings of the new Ruch Chorzów stadium look like?

The stadium’s location will allow optimal use of the two existing pedestrian footbridges over the DTŚ. The footbridges will lead directly to entrances on the elevated promenade surrounding the stadium.

The area behind the stand facing Aleja Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację will be transformed into a public square, while the spaces behind the main stand will be used for parking. The new areas can also host various events and outdoor activities, such as a seasonal ice rink in winter.

On the Cicha Street side, a training pitch will remain and is planned to be redeveloped. For visiting fans, a dedicated tunnel will provide direct access to their sections on the stand along Aleja Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację. An underground passage for players and VIP guests is also planned along the main stand.

Who will the new Ruch Chorzów stadium serve?

The stadium is primarily being built for Ruch Chorzów and its first team. At the same time, it will be a city facility, ready to host other sporting and cultural events. Additional functions, such as shops and restaurants, will ensure that the stadium is vibrant throughout the week, becoming an attractive destination for all residents.

When will the new Ruch Chorzów stadium be completed?

The new stadium will be constructed in stages. The first stage will be the main stand (along with the new pitch), followed by the stand behind the goal along Aleja Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację (including the away fans section), then the second stand along the side of the pitch, and finally the remaining stand behind the other goal.

The tender for the construction of the main stand under a design-and-build contract is scheduled for 2026. Construction is set to begin in 2027 and is expected to last until the end of 2028. Once the main stand is completed, Ruch matches will be able to take place at the stadium. The stand will accommodate approximately 6,000 spectators, including VIP boxes and premium seating areas.

Each of the stands behind the goals will add around 4,000 seats, while the stand opposite the main stand will have a capacity of 8,000 spectators.

The timeline for the construction of the remaining three stands has not yet been determined. The city’s long-term financial forecast allocates over 408 million PLN for the stadium, to be released gradually until 2040. The city still hopes to secure external funding, which could accelerate the project.

Although the budget provides over 400 million PLN, the final construction cost will only be accurately estimated after the complete design documentation is prepared.