The SAMELYON complex is situated on a site at the foot of the Rila Mountains, at an altitude of 960 meters, on the outskirts of the town of Samokov and very near to the Iskar River. This location offers a southern exposure with views of the Rila Mountains, as well as easy access to the winter resort of Borovets, located 10 km away.
Arena Samelyon is the primary sports facility for the "Rilski Sportist" basketball club, catering to various age groups (comprising 8–9 teams for boys, girls, and youth, as well as the club's representative squads). High-level sports rehabilitation services, a well-equipped fitness center, swimming pools, and a spa area are available for use by both the athletes and the residents of the complex. A hotel designed specifically to accommodate sports training camps is located right next to the arena.
During the initial design phase, consultations were held with various sports federations (including those for tennis, taekwondo, basketball, and rhythmic gymnastics). It emerged that most of these organizations lack dedicated facilities for training camps. Their requirements include sports halls, hotel accommodation, dining facilities, and sports rehabilitation services.
In Bulgaria, such facilities are typically found only in major regional centers—not in smaller towns like Samokov (population 35,000), despite its closeness to the mountains and its suitability for a wide range of sports. This location offers the tranquility and distance from the big city essential for effective training camps, while still maintaining a connection to the local community.
The project creates modern facilities for sports and recovery (sports rehabilitation). The sports component of the complex includes an arena with a capacity of 3,000, a large training hall, several smaller halls, a large fitness center, and associated support facilities. The main arena is designed for flexible use, accommodating either one or two playing courts and a spectator capacity ranging from 1,800 to 3,000, depending on the configuration of the telescopic seating.
The arena is designed to host both sporting and cultural events—activities that entail distinct requirements regarding acoustics, viewing angles toward the playing area, and operational logistics. A key requirement is that the supporters of opposing teams must enter and exit through separate entrances to prevent altercations in the vicinity of the building and its surrounding areas.
Due to the existing General Development Plan of the town of Samokov, the arena must be partially recessed into the ground to remain within the 15-meter height limit—a constraint necessitated by the 12.5-meter clear height required for basketball, combined with the substantial height of the roof structure.
The canopy in front of the hall is a strong form-defining element, covering part of the plaza used by visitors before and after events. A spiral of timber facade slats wraps around the building exteriors beneath the canopy, which unifies all the structures within the complex.
The arena is part of a new neighborhood in Samokov. Its location within walking distance of the city center aligns with the modern concept of the "15-minute city", where residents can access essential daily services—such as work, shopping, education, healthcare, parks, and cultural venues—within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Furthermore, its closeness to the mountains and the Borovets winter resort facilitates the development of a wide range of sports.
