Tire Atatürk Stadyumu – stadium description

New stadium in Tire (within the Izmir metropolitan area) was bound to come as the old one is heavily constrained and lies directly at the municipality's centre. The project wouldn't have been possible if it was only up to the Tire commune, local authorities financed only some 25%, while 75% came from Izmir.

Location north of main residential areas was selected as part of a new district, connecting historic heart of Tire with growing trade and industrial area. Here there's enough room not only for a stadium but also some 15,000 m² of recreational spaces, planned independently.

Designed by Tankut Aydin, the stadium is a one-of-a-kind structure, with main structure almost entirely cast in situ, up to the very top. Thick reinforced concrete provides 3 floors of catering and sanitary facilities for fans, with two narrow concourses surrounding the stadium, one above the other. This doesn't concern the main stand, of course, which houses all necessary infrastructure that might allow the stadium to reach UEFA Category IV, despite being planned for a 4th-league team.

Aesthetically the smooth double shell grabs attention, lower part being the skin protecting supporters inside and upper – the raised roof. Thanks to height of some 20 meters, the stadium didn't need additional floodlight masts. Lights are mounted under the roof and nighttime pollution of the surrounding area is very limited.

Though kept in timid shades of grey overall, the stadium shows local identity with red and white elements popping up from entry level to the very top. Literally the very top, roof girders are red, while supporting trusses white. The raised roof and auditorium divided into two tiers may create an intimidating atmospherem while accoustics have been praised.

Construction began officially in spring of 2015 and was expected to last exactly 700 days. However, contractors failed to meet the deadline, then passed another one and eventually formal delivery took place only after the first game, which took place in late March of 2018.