AZATA Stadium

Azata Stadium is proposed for the site of an obsolete Soviet football ground between the Hrazdan River and Yerevan Lake. Close to the archaeological complex of Shengavit - one of the region’s earliest settlements, dating to the fourth millennium BCE - the site holds an important layer of Yerevan’s history. Rather than introducing an isolated sports object, the project restores civic purpose to this neglected territory, bringing together sport, landscape and cultural memory.

The inspiration of architecture is drawn by three Armenian archetypes. The Arevakhach, an ancient solar symbol of eternity, generates the spiral geometry of the park. Kochari, the traditional circular dance, informs the rhythm of movement and the flowing façade. The inclined roof opens towards Yerevan and Mount Ararat, establishing a direct relationship with Armenia’s defining cultural landscape. Working through plan, surface and orientation, these references root the stadium in its context without reproducing historical forms.

The stadium is conceived as a continuous system in which the park, envelope, stands, pitch and roof operate together. Its principal public level forms an uninterrupted concourse, with service spaces organised along the inner perimeter of the stands to create clear navigation. The arena can adapt to football matches, concerts, padel tournaments and large-scale events, supporting different forms of entertainment.

A public park extends the project beyond match days. Walking and sports routes, open-air amphitheatres, basketball courts and padel facilities make the site part of everyday urban life. Soil excavated during construction is reused to form terraces, slopes and retaining structures, allowing the landscape to emerge from the building process itself.

The architectural expression balances energy with restraint. The stadium bowl is bright, celebratory and filled with movement, while the outer envelope creates a quieter sense of protection. Curved perforated panels evoke the flowing fabric of Kochari costumes, filtering light by day and emitting a controlled warm glow at night. Solar panels, rainwater collection and natural air circulation complement the material strategy. The result is more than an event venue: it is a civic landscape that transforms Armenian identity into a contemporary place for gathering.