Sala Polivalentă „Dan Constantin Irimiciuc”

The hall sits close to the Palace of Culture, tucked into the historic center of Iași. It is not a vast arena but a compact space where the crowd sits near enough to hear the squeak of shoes on the floor. Built in 1972, the building has seen decades pass without major changes until recently. The modernization completed in 2024 replaced the old flooring with solid maple parquet. This new surface sits under the same roof that has sheltered local athletes for half a century.

The arena holds 2,000 spectators, a number that feels substantial when the stands are full. It serves as the home ground for the women’s handball side CSM Iași 2020. The team secured promotion to the Liga Națională last year, and the venue now hosts their matches. The hall also staged the final tournament of the Divizia A women’s handball league in May 2024. Beyond handball, it has seen national Taekwondo championships and the SENTOKI Karate Cup.

The building carries the name of Dan Constantin Irimiciuc, a fencer who captained the Romanian sabre team between 1970 and 1975. He won a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, a memory that remains in the city’s sporting history. The hall was originally constructed as a polyvalent venue and later named in his honour. There is no record of a previous name. The architect remains unknown. The address is Strada Palat 2. The air inside is still, apart from the game.