SPORTS ARCHITECTURE
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP STADIUM WINNING PROPOSAL
Wilmotte & AssociÊs recently won the competition to design the 2018 FIFA World Cup Stadium in Kaliningra, Russia. Their design features an urban facade that wraps the stadium, consisting of a series of orthogonal screens that respond to the surrounding urban context. The project will be constructed from a primary steel structure, but the upper tier of the stadium will be temporary. The stadium has been designed so that after the tournament completes in 2018, the stands can be dismantled and the upper canopy can be removed. Construction of the 45,000 seat football stadium will begin in 2014. More images and architects’ description after the break. Kaliningrad, formerly Konigsberg (City of East Prussia until 1945) is a Russian city of 432,000 inhabitants. It is a Russian exclave that borders the Baltic Sea and is isolated from Russian territory by the states of Poland and Lithuania. This particular situation dictated a complex program: in order to host the FIFA World Cup matches there is a requirement for the stadium to hold 45,000 people, but the capacity of the stadium has to be reduced to approximately 25,000 seats when the football competition ends in order for the stadium to continue to be useful to the relatively small population of the region. The stadium design incorporates a flat sliding operable roof that will allow the stadium to accommodate a diverse range of events such as concerts, large conferences and various other sporting events. In the 220 hectare area surrounding the new stadium the hosting facilities for the World Cup event will be built. These facilities will include village hospitality and a media center. After the international competition ends, the accommodation will be subdivided and absorbed by the surrounding town adding to the existing urban fabric.
The stadium and its facilities will become the centerpiece for the new urban master plan of October Island. The island sits at the centre of the two arms of the River Pregolya : the Pregolya Old and the New Pregolya. The master plan has used the river to develop a network of canals that will help to create a strong identity for this part of the city. An artificial lake and a marina will also be created. Landscaping will be introduced to the island along two axis to form a cross, along the main east-west axis green landscaped areas will be created that continue outwards to meet with the cathedral, these green veins will also extend into the eastern part of the island where it will form a large park. The landscaping along the north-south axis will respond to the ancient fortifications on the site.
Through the design of the landscaping and canals, Wilmotte & Associés have been able to integrate new transport infrastructure that will serve the island. This will include a new bridge over the river creating improved connections to the surrounding territory. The design creates a rich dense urban grid of residential and commercial units that are intertwined with landscaping, canals and places for social events. Wilmotte & Associés will develop the design with construction and development company NPO Mostovik. The project will be financed by the region of Kaliningrad and the Russian Federation, the design studies for this project will be completed in 2014, and reach final completion in time to host matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Architects: Wilmotte & Associés Location: Kaliningrad, Russia Collaborators: NPO Mostovik & Mersfor Rus OOO Project Management: Kaliningrad Region, Russian Federation Program: Construction of a 45,000 – seat stadium and 220 hectares of land on October Island Area : 50 000 m², 220 hectares Beginning of Construction: 2014 Delivery: 2018
SPORTS HALL COMPETITION ENTRY / STUDIO EL In search of the architectural and spatial form for the designed sports hall in Białystok, Studio EL, through their investigation of applied form typologies used in sports facilities, decided to use the coating system. This type of design is characterized by freshness, terseness and coherence in form and in contents of a function. The design consists of two-curvature, two-layered, steel space frames which will cover the space of the sports hall and will be based on the double buttresses located in its ambit. More images and architects’ description after the break. Terrain of area A with acreage of approx. 5ha is the parcel for the designed sports hall. This parcel is located in south-eastern quoin of the terrains of area B which are covered by total elaboration of urban planning. Decisions made during the elaboration of spatial and functional conception for the whole terrain of area B were consistent with conception of parcel development of area A. In certain way a spatial projection of the hall and its location on the parcel of area A were the inspiration to design the pedestrian promenade concatenating quarters, and serving as a compositional axis of the whole urban system, to which embedded mass of the hall is its perspective finial, looking at it from east’s and west’s point of view.
The designed sports hall is located squarely on its parcel, acknowledging that approach roads and pedestrian roads from Ciołkowski street direction will be equivalent from the east and from the west. The layout of the hall aggregate is made up of two elements: the higher and dominating mass of the hall, of which longitudinal axis is located on the axis of the pedestrian promenade proceeding from east to west; and the lower mass implying concurrent program, located on the north side of the hall’s mass, along the boundary with adjoining parcel, developed with immovables of the telecommunications company and with Institute of Meteorology.
The hall is located squarely on its parcel is surrounded by parking lots from the south, east and west side. The last two are divided into two blocks by the pedestrian promenade which is the main pedestrian access to the hall aggregate from the east and from the west, and from the particular blocks of parking lots. The main pedestrian movement towards the hall aggregate from east and west direction and from the parking lots will lead through the promenade, and subsequently through the ramp, the stairs and the elevators leading to the two pedestrian walkways located 4, 20 m above them
The delivery road to the hall aggregate is designed on the east side of the pedestrian promenade / hall’s warehouses, transformer station, entrances to the arena, partial commercial and technical program / and on the north from the service road side mainly for the commercial program and partially for the technical program.
Considering new computational methods and new generative and executive technologies at today’s disposal, this classic coating system with a unique charm is implemented with light, easy to assemble, and has a very aesthetic construction. Coating of the structure is divided into two strands: side wings are layers of accustomed coating of a full roof / corrugated sheet, mineral wool, water insulation, panel coating from aluminium sheet ; and median strip consists of a downlighter in the part above the arena and thermal sandwich panels on the sides, covered collectively with a layer of Semi Transparent Photovoltanic Glass, application of which will be a huge factor in reducing exploitation costs.
This resolution serves as an ecological treatment in designing sports facilities. Downlighter itself will be constructed using Kalwall system, which features brilliant parameters when it comes to thermal insulating power and sun control, through manifold scattering of sunlight. Additionally in top strip of the space frame we have enabled the possibility of darkening by using automatic, horizontal roller blinds. This resolution will provide bright, roomy, attractive and interestingly designed space of the sports hall in Białystok.
Architects: Studio EL Location: Białystok, Poland
2018 WORLD CUP: POPULOUS AWARDED ROSTOV STADIUM Populous was recently selected as the designers of the new Rostov Stadium in Russia, which will be the fourth Populous-designed stadium in the country to be used for the 2018 World Cup, together with Kazan, Saransk, Sochi. Part of an overall landscape, this urban design is planned for the whole region. It is inspired by the ancient earthworks along the banks of the river, the Kurgans. These archaeological mounds of earth were used for burial pagan rituals, creating major forms in the landscape. More images and architects’ description after the break.
In September 2012, the eleven host cities that will organize the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia were announced. The sixty-four matches will be staged at twelve venues. Among the host cities are: Moscow, being the only city with two stadiums selected, Saint Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Saransk, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don and Yekaterinburg.
The stadium will have a capacity of 45,000 seats for the World Cup and will be scaled down to 25,000 seats in legacy. The concept had embraced sustainable credentials, as it will be the core of a green city project, which protects the wetlands to the south of the river.
Damon Lavelle, Principal at Populous, commented “It’s been a pleasure to work with Intex, the city and the governor of Rostov-on-Don to promote the project. After our experience on the World Cup in 2010 and London 2012, we are certain that the stadium will be a great catalyst for the city and this part of the river.”
ZAHA HADID WINS JAPAN NATIONAL STADIUM COMPETITION Fresh from the acclaimed openings of the Galaxy Soho in Beijing and the Eli & Edythe Broad Museum in the US, Dame Zaha Hadid can now add a new coveted project to her name. Beating out 10 other finalists (including Populous, a firm known for their sports architecture, as well as Japanese heavyweights, such as Toyo Ito and SANAA), Zaha Hadid Architects were chosen by Tadao Ando and the Japan Sports Council to design the new Japan National Stadium. As Ando described the decision-process: “Our wish is to see a stadium designed by someone who shares this earth, with wisdom and technology that looks to the future of out planet.” The new 80,000-seat stadium will replace the existing Kasumigaoka National Stadium in Tokyo. It will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup and potentially be the main sporting venue for the 2020 Olympic Games (if Japan’s bid is selected). It will also be offered to FIFA as a venue for World Cup football matches.
IN PROGRESS: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB / ARUP Construction has commenced on the world’s largest dome roof at Singapore’s National Stadium. Once completed in 2014, the Arup-designed structure will provide shelter to the 55,000 seat stadium and surrounding ticketed community spaces in the heart of the 35ha sports precinct. Singapore’s National Stadium will be the only stadium in the world, custom-built to host football, rugby, cricket and athletic events in one venue. The simple geometric form of the ultra-thin, retractable dome spans 310m and is designed to use only a fraction of the energy required for an equivalent fully enclosed stadium.
The open-ended, west end of the stadium will provide breathtaking views across the city and provide the perfect setting for Singapore’s own National Day Parade, which is slated to be hosted annually in the stadium. In order to maximize energy efficiency in the tropical climate of Singapore, Arup prioritize the following passive design solutions: shading to seating, insulation to roof cladding and giant louvers that reduced solar heat gain. Furthermore, they equipped the naturally ventilated stadium bowl with localized cooling to ensure spectator comfort. The additional energy required to switch on the bowl cooling for a stadium event will be offset by energy harnessed throughout the year from a large photo voltaic array, allowing the operation of the bowl cooling to have a zero carbon impact on the environment.
Adds Clive Lewis, Arup’s lead Sports Venue Designer for the Singapore Sports Hub, “The tropical climate in Singapore poses a challenge in the design of the National Stadium. People will only enjoy the stadium experience if the environmental conditions are right. We wanted to keep the rain and heat out, but we also wanted it to be an open and dynamic space. After extensive research into comfort expectations and energy in use, we realized that a naturally ventilated stadium with localized cooling gave us the best solution for the local climate in Singapore. By incorporating a moving roof, the stadium will be further protected from the harsh climatic conditions, allowing events to be hosted during the hottest parts of the day.”
The S$1.33b Sports Hub will also be home to: A 3,000-capacity indoor world tournament standard Aquatic Centre, expandable to 6,000 capacity for specific events; A 3,000-capacity Multi Purpose Indoor Arena (MPIA) which will be scalable and flexible in layout; 41,000 sq m of commercial retail space; A Water Sports Centre catering to elite athletes as well as the public; The existing 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium; Sports Information & Resource Centre (SIRC), with sports library and museum.
The 20,000m2 moving roof is supported by the fixed roof dome structure with a clear span of 310m. It will be clad in a multi-layer ETFE pillow and incorporate a matrix of LED lights, making it one of the largest addressable LED screens in the world. To optimize information exchange through the entire building process, Arup used advanced parametric modeling software, as well as in-house software developed specifically for the project. The result is a super efficient shell dome structure, with a total steel weight of 8,057 metric tons. At a structural weight per square meter of just over 100kg/m2, this would be considered efficient even for a roof that was half this span. “The construction of the National Stadium is the launch pad for many other key elements in the project. It will be Asia’s only event site with the technology, capacity and services to cater to residents, overseas visitors, sports professionals and global artists 365 days a year,” says Mark Collins, Vice President and Managing Director of Global Spectrum Asia Pte Ltd. The company is one of the eight project partners of the SportsHub Pte Ltd Consortium, which has four equity partners – Dragages Singapore Pte Ltd, Infrared Capital Partners, UGL Services, and Global Spectrum Asia. To date, Singapore Sports Hub is the largest sports infrastructure Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project in the world. In line with Singapore Sports Council’s Vision 2030 master plan, Sports Hub will offer one and all the opportunity and access to live better through sports. It will be a platform for national athletes to hone their sporting talents and inspire participation in sports among the community. With local firm DP Architects as masterplanners, the Sports Hub is designed within a natural landscape that is linked to an island-wide park connector system and will be accessible to everyone and anyone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.