Yeni Elazığ Stadyumu – design description

The land in western Elazığ lies in a quarter between two of the city's representative avenues: the Atatürk blvd to the south and Zübeyde Hanım (Atatürk's mother) avenue to the north. The old stadium's name may also sound familiar, the ground opened back in 1974 used to be called the Atatürk stadium as well.

But that field's history has ended in 2019. In March demolition took place, although initially authorities suggested a phased development would be preferred, so as to allow constant use for professional football. Eventually, however, the Sports Ministry (carrying out the project along with TOKI) decided to tear it all down at once. By July excavation was ongoing, foundations were laid in late 2019.

Designed by Alper Aksoy's team, the stadium parts ways with popular elliptical forms in favour of a more conservative rectangular layout, rooted in Turkish architecture (even if expressed in a modern way). The significant volume is offset with the use of latticework, glazing and significant timber surfaces across the facade.

The stadium itself has a footprint of 27,000 m², while the entire complex (including an indoor arena to the west and parking spaces to the north) is roughly 60,000 m². The plot is seriously constrained for a stadium of this size, which is why the rectangular layout is preferential in making the best use of available space. This way anciliary facilities can be created not just for other sport disciplines but also for cultural use.

The contract value stands at just TRY 128.4 million, which is significantly below average European values for a stadium of 20,000+. The simple, repetitive layout is helpful in achieving that, as is the single-tier auditorium without filled corners (aside from the south-eastern one). This way the main stand has 18 rows (+ a strip of boxes), while the remaining sections reach 27 rows.