Experts from L35 Arquitectos design a unique football stadium for the city of Ostrava

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic, Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ostrava, the third largest city in the Czech Republic, has selected the winning architectural design for the construction of the new Bazaly Stadium. The winning design best met not only the competition assignment but also the key principles of modern football stadium design. The proposal by L35 Arquitectos stands out from other entries with its distinctive shape, façade treatment, choice of materials, and overall balanced composition.

"The winning design was chosen unanimously. It reflects the key aspects that were essential for the city. The elegant architectural concept offers a simple and compact form, respects the strong identity of the site, and is harmoniously integrated into the surrounding landscape. It has the ambition to become a new landmark of Ostrava, providing facilities both for football and for the public. The winning design comes from a studio with almost sixty years of history, over 200 completed projects across four continents, and a multidisciplinary team of more than 200 experts. Among its achievements are the reconstruction of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and projects in La Paz and Dubai," said Jan Dohnal, Mayor of Ostrava.

The winning studio, L35 Arquitectos, is an urban planning, architecture, and design studio with offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Milan, Miami, Mexico City, Bogotá, Santiago, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi. Its portfolio includes a wide range of projects—from train stations and shopping centers to urban revitalizations and stadiums. The winning architectural proposal was preceded by essential research and feasibility studies to expand the stadium's capacity and prepare the architectural competition. The next steps include developing the final design documentation and obtaining the necessary permits, with construction expected to begin ideally in 2029.

The new football stadium will host international matches, including games of the Czech national football team. Its return to Bazaly, where the club played for 56 years since 1959, symbolizes a homecoming. The stadium aims for BREEAM certification, incorporating the latest technologies in sustainability and energy efficiency. It will include a club museum, restaurants, fan shops, and other services. Current cost estimates stand at CZK 2.5 billion, subject to refinement as design progresses. The seating capacity is planned for approximately 19,500–20,000 spectators.

"High-quality architecture is a priority for Ostrava, which is why the new stadium's design was chosen through an architectural competition. Architects from around the world applied—30 teams in total. The winning proposal has a strong identity and delivers a clear, confident expression towards the city, with an elegant, simple, and compact architectural form. Partially embedded into the terrain, the stadium is naturally integrated and gains presence and solidity. On the side facing residential areas, it appears calm and grounded in the landscape, while towards the city, it rises confidently to create a new landmark that both responds to and redefines its surroundings," added Mayor Jan Dohnal.

The jury included renowned architects Valerie Mulvin (Dublin), Derek Wilson (London), András Borbély (Budapest), Martin Bělkovský (Brno/Vienna), Martin Tycar (Prague), Tomáš Vymetálek (Hradec Králové), and Tadeáš Goryczka (Ostrava). Representatives of the city and FC Baník Ostrava also took part, along with experts in sports, sustainability, fire safety, budgeting, and structural engineering. Ostrava's commitment to exceptional architectural quality has led to numerous design competitions.

The city's New City Hall, the largest in the Czech Republic and now a national cultural monument, also emerged from an architectural competition a century ago, as did the recent reconstructions of the historic City Slaughterhouse and the House of Culture with its new concert hall.

"I would like to thank all participating teams for their dedication and effort in preparing their competition entries. We truly appreciate their enthusiasm and countless hours of work. The result is a design for an iconic building near the city center, adjacent to the national cultural monument of the New City Hall—a new attraction for visitors and residents alike. We are also preparing a public exhibition of the competition entries, which will open in January next year," added Mayor Dohnal.

The jury chair, renowned Irish architect Valerie Mulvin (Dublin), who also served on the panel for Ostrava's ongoing concert hall competition and once participated in the competition for the former city slaughterhouse, described the winning design as follows:

"From the outside, the design conveys a strong sense of place, rooted in the industrial heritage of the Ostrava region. It combines a massive basalt base with a lightweight metallic upper façade—an ideal solution for the former Bazaly quarry site and a nod to the local traditions of steelmaking and mining. The façade's corten-like color palette radiates warmth while evoking the power of Ostrava's industrial past. Architecturally refined, the design uses varied metal mesh patterns to achieve a balance of robustness, lightness, and transparency, revealing the vibrant life inside the stadium.

Facing the city center, a generous honeycomb pattern—drawing inspiration from the natural hexagonal structure of basalt columns—defines the façade. This motif allows the stadium to relate to the urban scale at upper levels while remaining human in scale at ground level. The honeycomb grid continues throughout the interior and façade, creating a memorable journey for spectators—dynamic, visually connected to the exterior, and particularly striking after dark. Carefully designed architectural lighting enhances the sense of connection between the stadium and the city while emphasizing the façade's form and materials.

The main entrance clearly identifies the home of FC Baník Ostrava, oriented toward the city and complemented by an accessible system of terraces of varying widths, allowing for food stalls and other activities while smoothly connecting the public realm with the stadium's surroundings. Approaching from the city center, visitors ascend through landscaped terraces, blending architecture and nature in a seamless spatial sequence. The main concourse acts as a link between terrain and structure, gathering crowds, guiding movement, and framing the entrance. The surrounding stairs and terraces follow the terrain's contours in harmony with the façade's hexagonal geometry, creating a fluid and rhythmic choreography of movement.

The transportation concept is well integrated, including adjustments to existing routes—such as reducing traffic lanes near the stadium—to improve pedestrian access and safety. Clear separation of traffic types ensures smooth flow during matchdays and beyond, with particular emphasis on pedestrian movement and its social dimension.

The hyperbolic paraboloid roof merges harmoniously with the façade into a unified, visually striking whole. Its profile encloses the arena, concentrating sound and energy to enhance the matchday atmosphere. Two fan zones on the southeast and southwest sides provide flexible gathering spaces.

The stadium's two-tiered stands address the site's topography effectively. Circulation is clear, with separate access routes for different user groups, ensuring smooth movement and safe evacuation. All spectators enjoy excellent sightlines with a C-value of at least 90 mm, and generous internal spaces are functionally organized, reflecting Ostrava's industrial heritage through materials and design.

All hospitality areas overlook the pitch and can serve multiple uses on matchdays and non-matchdays alike. The design efficiently uses the terrain for operational facilities and includes well-positioned training zones. The jury praised the design's careful attention to special conditions, such as evacuation, construction logistics in complex terrain, and long-term sustainability and maintenance."

A video presentation is available at: https://1url.cz/kJgdU

SOURCE City of Ostrava

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