IRINA AKHMANOVA. WORK PROJECTS

SAMARA ARENA

FIFA-COMPLIANT STADIUM FOR 45,000 SPECTATORS, DESIGNED AND BUILT FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2018

SAMARA ARENA IS A MODERN STADIUM, DESIGNED FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2018, HOSTED BY RUSSIA. THE PROGRAM OF THE STADIUM WAS STRATEGICALLY DEVELOPED TO CREATE A FLEXIBLE MULTIFUNCTIONAL VENUE FOR FUTURE COMMUNITY AND CITY USE.

THE SAMARA ARENA'S DESIGN WAS INSPIRED BY THE CITY'S RICH AEROSPACE HISTORY, WITH THE STADIUM'S DOME-SHAPED ROOF RESEMBLING A SPACESHIP.

LOCATION: ul. Dal'nyaya, 21, Samara, Russia
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2018
CAPACITY: 44,807
OVERALL AREA: 160,000 sqm

DESIGN COMPANIES:

ARCHITECT: PI Arena
ENGINEERING: PI Arena
CONSULTANTS: GMP Architekten

ROLE ON THE PROJECT:

Project Manager and Planning Team Lead.
SD and DD Phases, Tender Documentation, Construction works, Site supervision.
Management of cross-disciplinary teams.
Coordination with FIFA, State Authorities, sub-consultants, engineers and structural engineers
Communication with the Client, approving all architectural solutions.
Coordinating architectural solutions with the State budget.
Coordination of the architecture with the ID development.

overall aerial view ©Administration of the Samara region

THE SAMARA ARENA IS A REVOLUTIONARY SPORTS VENUE THAT EMBODIES THE CITY'S AEROSPACE HERITAGE. ITS SPACESHIP-LIKE DESIGN FEATURES A GLEAMING WHITE AND SILVER EXTERIOR, WITH A DISTINCTIVE DOME-SHAPED ROOF THAT PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL ACOUSTICS AND CLIMATE CONTROL. THE ARENA'S SEATING BOWL IS DIVIDED INTO TWO TIERS, WITH THE UPPER TIER FEATURING A CANTILEVERED ROOF THAT ENSURES UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS FOR ALL SPECTATORS.

SPECIFIC ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS INCLUDE A UNIQUE, CABLE-STAYED ROOF STRUCTURE THAT PROVIDES MAXIMUM STABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY, AS WELL AS A STATE-OF-THE-ART VENTILATION SYSTEM THAT MAINTAINS OPTIMAL PLAYING CONDITIONS. THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE FEATURES A SCENIC PEDESTRIAN ZONE, OFFERING STUNNING VIEWS OF THE NEARBY VOLGA RIVER.

stadium in the snow ©Alexey Belousov

LEGACY MODE:

AFTER THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP, THE STADIUM WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A VERSATILE VENUE, HOSTING:

FOOTBALL MATCHES FOR FC KRYLIA SOVETOV SAMARA
RUGBY AND ATHLETICS EVENTS
CONCERTS AND CULTURAL FESTIVALS

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

2019: WINNER OF THE BEST SPORTS FACILITY AWARD AT THE RUSSIAN ARCHITECTURE AWARDS

INTERESTING FACTS:

THE SAMARA ARENA FEATURES A PIONEERING HYBRID GRASS SURFACE, COMBINING NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FIBERS FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE.
THE STADIUM'S CONSTRUCTION CREATED OVER 2,000 JOBS AND STIMULATED LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH.
THE ARENA'S UNIQUE DESIGN HAS BECOME A ICONIC LANDMARK IN THE CITY OF SAMARA.