OMA to Transform Selman Stërmasi Stadium

OMA to Renovate Selman Stërmasi Stadium and Introduce Geometric High-Rise District in Tirana

The Dutch architectural powerhouse OMA has revealed plans for a transformative urban intervention centered on Selman Stërmasi Stadium, home to Albania’s football club KF Tirana. The project merges sport, culture, and urban renewal, aiming to connect and invigorate the Blloku and Komuna e Parisit neighborhoods in Albania’s capital.

Originally constructed in 1956, the stadium currently holds around 9,500 spectators in uncovered tiered seating. OMA’s design will expand capacity to 15,000, enclosing the venue within an open-top bowl structure and embedding it in a newly imagined cityscape of angled stone-clad towers, plazas, and green walkways.

Reinventing a National Landmark

As one of Tirana’s key sports venues, Selman Stërmasi Stadium holds both practical and symbolic value. OMA’s proposal not only modernizes the facility but also integrates it into the wider social and architectural fabric of the city.

Key features of the new stadium design include:

• A triangular entrance plaza, functioning as a public square and fan gathering space.
• A rooftop fitted with photovoltaic panels and green plantings.
• A seamless transition from stadium to city, with pedestrian paths linking it to surrounding neighborhoods.

“By integrating the stadium into a new urban development, we wanted to connect two distinct areas of the city through a shared culture of football as well as spontaneous activities,”
— Kees van Casteren, OMA Associate

High-Rises Inspired by Albania’s Landscape

Perhaps the most visually striking component of OMA’s proposal is the introduction of geometric high-rises with strong angular silhouettes. Their stone cladding takes inspiration from:

• Albania’s mountainous terrain.
• The Stadium of Amantia, a historic Hellenistic structure dating to the third century BC.

These towers will host:

• Residential units
• Hotel accommodations
• Offices
• Shops, bars, and restaurants

The composition transforms the area into a multi-use urban quarter rather than a single-purpose sports district.

“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,”
— David Gianotten, OMA Managing Partner

Urban Connectivity and Cultural Continuity

OMA’s approach blends architecture, urbanism, and identity. By using the stadium as an anchor point, the project acts as a social and spatial bridge, binding two historically separate districts of Tirana. The triangular plaza and fan zone serve as democratic public realms, encouraging spontaneous interaction, celebration, and civic engagement.

In doing so, the design fosters:

• Urban continuity through connected pathways and shared public spaces.
• Cultural expression through the enhancement of football infrastructure.
• Economic growth through diversified real estate development.

Conclusion: A Visionary Leap for Tirana

OMA’s masterplan is more than a stadium renovation—it’s an architectural gesture that redefines the role of sport in urban life. It views the stadium not as an isolated venue but as an urban catalyst, shaping community, form, and experience.

This project exemplifies the evolution of sports architecture into mixed-use, civic-focused urbanism, with Selman Stërmasi Stadium at the heart of a growing, vibrant Tirana.

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