Athens Kallithea FC, K-Studio and Arup have teamed up for a collaborative regeneration of the historic “El Paso” stadium, reimagining it as an open and inclusive civic ground for sport, culture and everyday life.

Building on the stadium’s strong identity and deep community roots, and the club’s ambition for sporting progression within a values-led framework, the proposal preserves the character of the existing structure while upgrading and expanding its facilities, capacity, and spatial performance.

Rather than introducing a radical transformation, the intervention amplifies and refines the site’s existing layers of public life, strengthening its connection to the neighbourhood and extending its role within the daily life of Kallithea. This approach is grounded in a strategy of careful evolution, leaving the stadium largely intact while upgrading its infrastructure, expanding capacity from 6,300 to 9,000 seats, and enhancing accessibility, comfort, and public use. The design operates through precise architectural and landscape interventions that reinforce -rather than replace- the stadium’s inherent qualities.

Key interventions include opening the currently fenced perimeter into a continuous public park, extending the stadium into a porous civic landscape more closely integrated with the neighbourhood. New programmatic layers introduce cultural, wellness, retail, and food spaces, activating the site beyond match days and enriching everyday urban life. Extensive vegetation and tree planting improve microclimatic conditions and reinforce the stadium as a green civic asset. A reconfigured façade and bleacher system further enhance spectator experience while improving training environments and social interaction.

At its core, the project positions the stadium as a continuously active civic landscape, deeply rooted in its community and gently evolved for a broader urban future.