As adaptable as a chamaeleon

National Athletics Stadium in Budapest

published in sb magazine 2/2025 

From competition mode to daily operation: the temporary upper stands of the National Athletics Stadium have been removed and replaced by a 15,000 m² covered and illuminated open space offering activity and recreation for the public. The National Athletics Stadium has been ­established on behalf of the Hungarian State as the kick-off building for the long-term urban design of the Budapest South City Gate development. The stadium has been designed by NAPUR Architect, the winner of the design competition. 

The main elements of the design were the new Athletics Stadium and Park to be built on the site of the Vituki industrial site in ­Ferencváros, the planned new pedestrian-bicycle cable bridge connecting it to the summit of North Csepel, and the new Athletics Training Centre accessible through it. The three project elements together aim to enhance the development of the area with an urban design vision. The design of the building and its appearance were created in honour of the Queen of Sports, athletics, so  the architectural design of the stadium is a crown in the radiant white of classical antiquity.

The vision was to create a versatile centre for sports and community, with a total seating capacity of 15,000 and flexible expansion possibilities. The requirements for the building were ambitious from the outset, as it was not only to meet the needs of the local sports community, but also to comply with international standards for major events. This required an innovative solution to create additional spectator seating without compromising the stadium's functionality. To meet the demand for flexibility, NAPUR architects teamed up with NUSSLI for intelligent temporary structures.