New_Najaf_Stadium
Al-Najaf International Stadium (Arabic: ملعب النجف الدولي) is a stadium in Najaf, Iraq, which opened on 5 May 2018.[2][3] It is used mostly for football matches, and serves as the home stadium of Al-Najaf FC and Naft Al-Wasat SC.[4] The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 spectators.[5] Construction, which cost US$83.75 million, was funded entirely by the Iraqi government.[6]
| Full name | Al Najaf International Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Najaf,  Iraq |
| Coordinates | 32°03′54″N 44°18′58″E |
| Owner | Ministry of Youth and Sports (Iraq) |
| Operator | Al-Najaf FC |
| Capacity | 30,000 |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 22 May 2011 |
| Opened | 5 May 2018 |
| Construction cost | $83.75 million USD |
| Architect | 360 Architecture / HOK |
| Services engineer | Anwar Soura General Contracting Company[1] |
| Main contractors | Anwar Soura General Contracting Company |
| Tenants | |
| Al-Najaf FC Naft Al-Wasat SC | |
The final design by Kansas City-based 360 Architecture won the competition, and was selected by the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports.[7][8] The first proposed design included an athletics track, but it was agreed to construct a football-specific stadium. The sports complex also contains two additional stadiums, accommodating 400 and 2,000 spectators, mainly used for training.[9] The religious ornaments and mosaics on the outer façade are inspired by Imam Ali's mosque which is 10 km from the stadium.[10]
Al Najaf International Stadium has been nominated among five other finalists to win the 2019 Prix Versailles for the most beautiful sporting facility in the world (architecture and design).[11][12] The committee considered various criteria including innovation, creativeness, attention to landscaping, recognition of local, natural and cultural patrimony, and environmental efficiency. The importance of social interaction and participation were also part of the assessment criteria.[13][14]
- "Najaf Stadium". stadiumdb.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
- "افتتاح ملعب النجف الدولي بحضور 30 الف متفرج". alsumaria.tv. Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "Holy Al Najaf Stadium". stadiumguide.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "النجف تعلن جاهزية ملعبها الدولي لاحتضان المباريات المحلية والدولية". mawazin.net. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "360 Architecture lands stadium work in Iraq". Kansas City Business Journal. 12 July 2011.
- "Iraq starts construction of two soccer stadiums". Design Curial. 15 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17.
- Hayman, Pete (15 July 2011). "Team appointed for Iraq stadium schemes". CLAD. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22.
- "360 Architecture to design two new stadia in Iraq". Australasian Leisure Management. 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22.
- "Iraq: They have the passion, now also the stadium". stadiumdb.com. May 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22.
- "Holy Al Najaf Stadium". thorntontomasetti.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "Cinquième édition: le Prix Versailles consacre les plus beaux campus, gares et stades au monde" (Press release). v2comnewswire. 3 June 2019. 3862-01. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22.
- Luff, Bryce (17 July 2019). "Prix Versailles Sports: Perth's Optus Stadium wins international award for architecture and design". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021.
- "Optus Stadium CEO Mike McKenna accepts 2019 Prix Versailles Sport Award in Paris". optusstadium.com.au. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22.