Diyabakir Stadium Makes the Switch to SIS Grass Hybrid

With the total number of SIS Grass Hybrid pitches in Türkiye now reaching 26, growth shows no signs of slowing with 4 of them installed in the last 3 months alone. One of the most recent additions to this expanding portfolio is Diyarbakır Stadium, which has now made the switch to a stitched hybrid surface.

Diyarbakır Stadium, located in the Anatolia region of Türkiye, is home to both Amed SK and occasionally Diyarbakırspor, hosting fixtures throughout the season. The pitch, originally constructed 7 years ago, featured a fully natural grass surface with no under-soil heating system to regulate temperature, a feature often overlooked in large stadiums that experience significant shaded areas. Combined, these factors restricted the durability and consistency of the playing surface over the course of the season. Despite considerable time and effort from the grounds team, maintaining a first-class playing surface for the players was becoming increasingly challenging.

When a government tender was released for the reconstruction of the pitch, our team was quick to respond, eager to provide solutions to the challenges the stadium had been facing. We proposed a tailored approach, offering a specific solution for each problem, directly addressing the key factors preventing the playing surface from reaching its full potential.

Our team undertook a full reconstruction of the pitch profile, rebuilding it from 300mm mm. This provided a fresh foundation for the new playing surface and allowed us to integrate several of our innovative pitch management systems, ensuring improved performance and a long-term foundation.

As part of the new construction, our systems experts designed and implemented SIS Heat, our advanced heating and cooling system for sports surfaces. While Diyarbakir may not experience extreme lows as frequently as in some other regions of Turkey, winter temperatures can still drop low enough to slow and effect plant health, particularly in shaded areas of the stadium that receive little direct sunlight. SIS Heat regulates pitch temperature year-round, ensuring consistent growth and playability across the entire surface. Key benefits of the SIS Heat system include:

Plant Health: Creates healthier roots and encourages seed growth in difficult conditions.

Stability: More stable surfaces with better traction for playability.

Durability: Longer lasting pitches that perform better throughout the season.

Playability: Subsoil heating gives you the peace of mind that your pitch will be in playable conditions during cold temperatures, reducing the risk of postponements.

At our turf farm in İzmir, a dedicated team of 10 specialists grow, maintain, and harvest 256,000m² of turf to service our clients. Its strategic location allows us to supply Diyarbakır Stadium with the highest quality natural grass rolls, which were delivered and installed by our in-house turf experts. This step was a crucial component in delivering a high-performance pitch capable of meeting the demands of professional football.

The refurbishment of the playing surface was completed with the installation of our stitched hybrid solution, SIS Grass Hybrid. The pitch was stitched at 2×2 cm spacing to a depth of 180 mm, a standard specification used in many of the world’s leading stadiums. The main benefits of SIS Grass Hybrid pitches include:

Resilience: Up to three times more play. Surfaces will be able to withstand more usage, and more intensity. Damage is reduced, and recovery is quicker.

Consistency: Prolonged grass coverage and a reinforced surface will mean less ground erosion, and more reliable playing characteristics and stability for better player safety.

Grass Health: Surrounding natural grass will develop a stronger root network as they entwine with the vertical fibres. Roots will also grow deeper as they find the channels, while also benefiting from better aeration.

With the reconstruction project complete, the stadium was officially handed over and opened with a successful opening match. The new playing surface received excellent feedback from all involved.

We would like to thank all involved for the collaboration in refurbishing the stadium’s playing surface. We take great pride in contributing to making sure the pitch continues to meet the highest standards.