Alba Arena / MET Arena

Set near the historic core of Székesfehérvár, the MET (Alba) Arena emerges as a subtle landmark within the city’s evolving cultural landscape. Lowered into the terrain, its broad, fluid roof seems to hover above the ground, softening the scale of the structure. Transparent façades reveal the vivid interior life, while shimmering metallic cladding captures the changing daylight. The arena’s openness and spatial clarity create a place where architecture, sport, and community naturally converge.

The MET (Alba) Arena was conceived as an architectural response to the challenge of integrating a large-scale sports hall within the human-scale fabric of Székesfehérvár. The site, close to the historic core and bordered by residential and green areas, demanded a gesture of balance rather than dominance. The strategy was to sink the main volume into the ground, reducing the perceived mass and allowing the sweeping roof to form a gentle, sculptural landscape. This gesture connects the building to its surroundings, both visually and topographically. Transparent façades maintain openness and daylight, extending the arena’s energy beyond its walls, while the outward-leaning geometry and metallic skin provide passive shading and a dynamic play of light. The result is a civic space that unites spectators and citizens, merging the intensity of sport with the quiet continuity of the city.

The Arena combines architectural clarity with structural efficiency. Its primary structure is a system of steel trusses spanning over the recessed main hall, enabling a column-free interior and a dynamic sphere-curved roof geometry. The building envelope is composed of high-performance glazing and anodised aluminium panels, chosen for their lightness, durability, and ease of maintenance. Outward-sloping façades provide passive solar shading and reduce thermal gain, while the recessed position of the arena stabilises the indoor climate and minimises energy demand. The use of prefabricated elements optimised construction time and cost efficiency. Ventilation and lighting systems are integrated discreetly into the roof structure, ensuring flexible operation for both sporting and cultural events. All materials were selected for long-term resilience, low maintenance requirements, and the capacity to retain their refined appearance over decades of public use.