Malatya Stadium

Ridgeline Houses — residential project by Meridian Studio, a house in a big yard with a black car in front of the house

Location

Malatya, Türkiye

Recognition

Completed · 25,000-Seat Football Stadium

Overview

Malatya Stadium is a 25,000-seat football venue designed as the new home of Yeni Malatyaspor. Located on the eastern edge of the city, near İnönü University, the project brings together contemporary spectator facilities, team areas, media spaces, hospitality functions and operational infrastructure within a distinctive architectural envelope. Developed by Bahadır Kul Architects in collaboration with Azaksu Mimarlık, the stadium transforms one of Malatya’s most recognisable cultural symbols—the apricot—into an abstract architectural identity defined by colour, layering and movement.

Challenge

The project required a large-capacity stadium capable of meeting contemporary football standards while establishing a strong relationship with Malatya’s local identity. Its peripheral location demanded a clearly recognisable building that could operate as both a sporting venue and an urban landmark. At the same time, the design needed to coordinate the safe movement of spectators, athletes, officials, media, hospitality guests and service personnel across a large site. The project also had to respond efficiently to level differences in the terrain and accommodate the extensive supporting programme beneath and around the spectator stands.

Solution

The stadium is organised around a compact seating bowl supported by clearly separated circulation and operational zones. Parts of the lower stands respond directly to the natural levels of the site, while offices, technical spaces, parking and service functions are positioned beneath other sections of the bowl. The building’s defining architectural element is its double-layered exterior envelope. An orange inner layer is partially wrapped by a white outer surface, creating depth, shadow and a changing visual character around the stadium. Inspired by the colour and layered form of Malatya’s apricots, the façade translates a local reference into a contemporary architectural language. The envelope opens toward the south to define the principal arrival area and reveal the activity between its two layers.

Result

Completed in 2017, Malatya Stadium established a contemporary home for Yeni Malatyaspor and a new sporting landmark on the city’s eastern edge. Its layered orange-and-white envelope gives the large venue a distinct identity, demonstrating how regional references can inform contemporary sports architecture without becoming a literal representation.