ECZACIBAŞI SPORTS HALL
Eczacıbaşı Sports Hall is a multi-functional sports and events venue located in Istanbul, designed for one of Turkey’s most prominent volleyball clubs—Eczacıbaşı Sports Club. Developed in compliance with FIVB international volleyball standards, the venue features a 4,000-seat main hall capable of hosting elite-level volleyball matches as well as large-scale cultural and entertainment events.
The design responds to both the spatial constraints of its pentagon-shaped urban plot and the ambition to provide a comprehensive sports infrastructure. Despite its compact footprint, the architectural strategy ensures efficient spatial organization, incorporating a professional-grade training hall with three courts, athlete accommodation units, fitness areas, administrative offices, and public amenities including a volleyball museum and retail zones. The program is vertically organized to deliver a layered spatial experience while maintaining clear accessibility and functional separation.
A key architectural feature of the project is its parametrically designed façade, developed using Grasshopper. The front façade integrates a niche for an interactive banner, enabling visual communication between the building's interior activities and the surrounding urban context. The façade also functions as an environmental filter. Varying perforation ratios in aluminum mesh panels are aligned with the interior program: up to 72% openness and a horizontal gap for office areas to ensure visual comfort and daylight access, and 40% porosity in the foyer for balanced lighting and solar control. These values were optimized through parametric design to enhance energy efficiency, daylight performance, and thermal comfort. The façade’s modular panel-blocking system facilitated streamlined production, transportation, and on-site installation.
The roof of the main and training halls employs a high-ribbed aluminum standing seam system, selected for its structural lightness and compatibility with photovoltaic panel integration. This approach supports the project's LEED certification goals and reflects a comprehensive commitment to sustainability. All building materials were selected with consideration for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), minimizing environmental impact throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Structurally, the building has been engineered to meet advanced seismic performance criteria—a critical requirement given Istanbul’s tectonic context. The structural system ensures safety, resilience, and long-term durability in compliance with Turkey’s earthquake regulations and international best practices.
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The main arena is configured specifically for volleyball use. The seating bowl geometry, sightline parameters, and court-to-audience distance were developed to comply with FIVB standards and to enhance spatial efficiency. The compact layout positions spectators closer to the court, improving visibility and optimizing the viewing angle across all seating tiers. Although primarily designed for volleyball, the arena incorporates infrastructure for multi-use operation. Retractable seating systems and adjustable acoustic panels allow reconfiguration for concerts, alternative sports, and large-scale events, enabling variation in capacity and internal layout without altering the primary design intent.
ORJİNAL PARAGRAF:The main arena is designed for maximum flexibility, with spatial and infrastructural provisions for seamless transitions between sports, concerts, and other large-scale events. Retractable seating systems and adaptable acoustic treatments allow the arena to transform in both scale and character, aligning with a broader vision of maximizing public engagement and programmatic diversity.
Eczacıbaşı Sports Hall stands as a technically and functionally advanced facility that integrates parametric design, operational adaptability, and sustainable architectural strategies. It contributes to Istanbul’s contemporary sports and cultural infrastructure, aligning with the evolving needs of both athletes and the wider public.
PROJECT FACTS
CLIENT Eczacıbaşı
PROJECT DATE
2023-2024
PROJECT DATA
Total Construction Area 25.852 m²
PROJECT TEAMS
Architectural Project Yazgan Design Architecture
Interior Design Project Yazgan Design Architecture
3D Image Credits Yazgan Design Architecture
Structural Project Probi Engineering
Mechanical Project YMT Engineering
Electrical Project MPY Engineering
Infrastructure Project MPK Project
Landscape Design Project Yazgan Design Architecture
CONSULTANTS
Fire Consultant Knot
Acoustical Consultant Mezzo
Facade Consultant Baymim
Lighting Consultant Lab 1
CONSTRUCTION
Construction Date 2024-2025
Contractor Eczacıbaşı
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
Cemal Emden 2025