Sports Park Stožice, Stožice, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2009-
Sadar Vuga Arhitekti

Type: Leisure and sport, shopping
Formula: Compressed Container, Landscaper



The Sports Park Stožice integrates a football stadium and a multi-purpose sports hall with a big shopping centre, covered by the artificial landscape of the recreational park. As a result 182,000sqm Sports Park Stožice becomes one of the major focal points of Ljubljana's urban life, attracting people of different interests and generation both during the daytime and in the evenings.

The two storeys of the shopping centre and the interior car park fill the 12-metre deep disused gravel pit. The park that covers the roof of the shopping centre continues the natural landscape across the northern section of the outer ring road with the green urban space all the way to the city centre. The entire newly-built premises are integrated into the site, emphasising the horizontal, planar character of the open space.



The recreational park on the roof of the shopping centre is an artificial technical landscape composed of recognisable micro-ambients that withstand the pressure of the crowd before major sporting events and still offer pleasure and comfort to an afternoon stroller, a skateboarder, or children on the playground. The plateau of the park is pierced by vertical connections of accesses from the lower car parks, ventilation shafts, and light wells belonging to the shopping centre. The big central atrium with its pavilions represent the main access point to the shopping centre's two floors.

The football stadium for 16.000 spectators is laid out under the plateau of the park. As a structure, it's therefore 'sunk' into the park. Only the roof over the stands rises above the plane of the park as a monolithic crater.



The rest of the roof of the stadium on the west, north, and south side represents a green, partially accessible continuation of the park's plane. The plane is pierced by four flights of stairs that provide access and lead to the stadium's concourse. Towards the east side of the stadium, the park's plateau gradually descends for 6m down to the eastern platform. Seen from this point, the stadium reveals itself as an open building.

Over the concourse and the stands stretches a 4x4m grid concrete roof. The grid of the roof determinates the 'crater' of the stadium and emphasises the sensation of the interior. The stands descend downwards from the concourse and surround the football pitch, which enables the spectators to be very near to the action, yet still be covered with the roof.



The sports hall for 12,000 spectators is located in the north-western part of the park. The four levels of concourses and the lower, VIP, and upper stands are covered by a shell-shaped dome. The park's plateau, the edge of the shell scallops and opens towards the interior. The ridges continue all the way to the top, where the facade meets the dome. This outlines the shape of the hall, a shell that opens towards the perimeter with large crescent openings overlooking the park. Along the entire perimeter, there is a canopy encircling the hall, acting as a derivative to the scalloped shell. Like the stadium, the entire shell of the hall is also finished in exterior cladding that changes colour depending on the exterior conditions and viewing distance.

The sports hall is a partially recessed building. Its volume is determined by the required seating capacity and the size of the basketball and handball court, which are the two sports that the hall is primarily intended for. The position of the stands ensures maximum compactness of the interior space and allows the spectators to be as close to the action on the court as possible. VIP seating is situated between the lower and the upper stands.

The crater of the football stadium and the shell of the sports hall on the park's plateau become two tuned icons of the new Ljubljana.



Sports Park Stožice images + Information from Sadar Vuga Arhitekti 210109

Sadar Vuga Arhitekti

Source:open competition 1997, 1st prize
Client:Grep d.o.o., Ljubljana City Municipality, Delta
Address/Site:Stožice, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Site area:182.752 m2
Building area:24.614 m2 (stadium), 14.164 m2 (arena), 143.973 m2 (park)
Total floor area:33.738 m2 (stadium), 35.496 m2 (arena), 151.247 m2 (underground parking garage), 96.319 m2 (shopping), 143.973 m2 (park)
Storeys:3 basements + gf + roof strucutre (stadium), 2 basements + gf + 3 storeys + roof structure (arena), 4 basements + gf (shopping and parking)
Structure:reinforced concrete with prefab elements and steel structure for arena roof
Cladding:glass, facade panels
Architect:SVA (Jurij Sadar, Boštjan Vuga, Goran Golubic, Miha Cebulj, Nataša Mrkonjic, Vanja Bazdulj, Bine Tekavec, Aleksandra Rakinic, Samuel Gnatovich, Nivia Pimentel), Landscape: AKKA (Ana Kucan, Luka Javornik), Structural engineer: Atelier One - London, Gradis, Consultant: KSS - London

Slovenian Buildings

Slovenia house by Sadar Vuga Arhitekti : Nova Gorica



World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Shopping Centre Architecture

Sports Centre Buildings

Slovenia Architects

Comments / photos for the Sports Park Stožice, Stožice Architecture page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk

Sports Park Stožice, Stožice Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt