OMA - Office for Metropolitan Architecture / David Gianotten has been selected as the winner of the competition to transform the historic New Selman Stërmasi Stadium and its surrounding area in the heart of Tirana, Albania. The proposal expands the current football park and turns it into a driving force for stronger links between various neighborhoods in the city.
Originally built in 1956, the stadium is reimagined by OMA as a central element in a broader urban plan connecting the Blloku and Komuna e Parisit districts. The multi-layered composition of this mixed-use development—comprising new buildings and generous public areas—draws inspiration from Albania’s mountainous terrain.
© OMA
OMA Managing Partner – Architect David Gianotten said: “Football is a cornerstone of urban culture and national identity across Europe and around the world, and we feel it especially intensely here in Tirana. Our design is meant to accelerate the exciting changes taking place in the city, while fostering closer bonds within and between neighborhoods and communities here.”
The project includes the stadium itself, a triangular entrance plaza, and a mix of new uses such as apartments of varying sizes, a hotel, office spaces, retail outlets, and food & beverage areas. The stadium’s seating capacity increases from 9,500 to 15,000, and a newly designed arena bowl offers unobstructed views and brings spectators closer to the field.
© OMA
The stadium, together with the surrounding buildings, defines a series of flexible open spaces suited for both match days and daily life. The triangular plaza serves as a fan zone or a venue for spontaneous gatherings. The architectural language of the block is informed by the Stadium of Amantia, adapting the ancient Illyrian structure from the third century BCE to a modern urban context. Located in present-day southern Albania, the original stadium was marked by stacked stone construction and a pitch carved from mountainous terrain. In OMA’s new proposal, the buildings are clad in natural stone and arranged to form peaks and terraced landscapes.
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Cover image: © OMA
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