The Republican regime attributed significant importance to sports in the context of the modernizing process in the early Republican period (1923-1945). Football stadiums became necessary to facilitate sports activities in cities. Thereupon, the regime invited sports architect Paolo Vietti-Violi to design modern football stadiums in which he planned Dolmabahçe, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahçe stadiums in Istanbul. These stadiums reflected the sports and modern architecture culture of the time. Despite their sporting and modern architectural significance, these stadiums were not perceived as part of the country’s heritage equation. They have faced numerous challenges due to their lack of visibility on the heritage agenda. Therefore, due to the ambiguous status of them, they were partially conserved and converted until the last decades. However, they were entirely demolished in recent decades, leading to the emergence of a new entity. Accordingly, concerns regarding the loss of architectural heritage intrinsically linked to a significant aspect of twentieth-century social history arose due to the demolition of whole stadiums and the reconstruction of particular stands. Therefore, these sporting heritages have been converted or demolished so as to adapt to increasing economic demands, media attention, and regulations regarding safety and health. The stadium’s questionable fate has left the site with an ambiguous status of sporting heritage. Accordingly, this study examines the challenges posed by their conservation and design. The conclusion of the study will focus on the potential benefits of cultural heritage for football stadiums.
Received his B.Arch and MSc. in Architectural design from Eastern Mediterranean University Faculty of Architecture (2008- 2016). Earned his PhD. degree in architecture from the Eastern Mediterranean University (2022). His research interests address topics in theory and history of architecture with a special focus into the industrial campuses and modern periods.