Global Perspectives: Exploring Diverse Sports Architecture Projects Ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

As the anticipation builds for the XXXIII Olympic Games in Paris, the city is preparing to host a global sporting event and embark on a journey of urban renewal. In a departure from traditional stadium-centric hosting, Paris 2024 embraces a new approach to the Olympic experience. Sports architecture has the ability to transcend functionality and become a space of collective experience and shared joy. In that sense, it invites individuals from diverse backgrounds to forge connections while celebrating athleticism. This month’s curated collection focuses on diverse forms of sports architecture, stadiums, venues, and landscaping projects, dissecting what components come together to form different sports architecture experiences.

For the Qatar World Cup in 2022, Foster + Partners designed the iconic and more traditional Lusail FIFA stadium. In India, M:OFA Studios designed the National Institute of Water Sports, breaking away from the pragmatic norms of government institutions. In Hangzhou, China, the 2022 Asian Games featured a new Cricket Field by AZUT, emerging as an integration of sports infrastructure with the natural landscape. Meanwhile, in Order City, China, PLAT ASIA transformed an existing urban square into a Smart Sports Park, promoting community wellness and interaction. Finally, Opsis Architecture’s University of Idaho Arena serves as a main gateway to the University campus, celebrating the spirit of athleticism and community.

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Read on to discover five diverse sports architecture projects, along with a description from the architects.

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An in-depth analysis of the brief and the client’s requirements, together with an appreciation of the climatic and cultural heritage of Qatar, formed the basis of the design. The seating bowl is expressed externally as a burnished golden vessel which sparkles against the sunlight. The façade features triangular openings that visually reinforce the bowl’s structural diagrid and form a perforated screen to provide shade and filter dappled light onto the internal concourses. The high-performance façades and an innovative roof design reduce the stadium’s energy consumption. Outdoor cooling technologies are used to maximize comfort within the open-air stadium. It has achieved a five-star rating under the Global Sustainability Assessment System.

Government institutions in India usually follow a pragmatic, understated approach when it comes to the expression of their architecture. When Goa State govt. Floated an international level competition for the design of the National Institute of Water Sports in Goa, it wanted the institute to do two things: firstly, to make a bold, iconic statement with an expression that treats the architecture beyond the functional pragmatism and secondly, takes a fresh approach to the typical Goan Architectural setting a language that’s more global yet grounded while resonating the vernacular, through the use of local materials.

Hangzhou, China

The Asian Games Cricket Field at the Pingfeng Campus of Zhejiang University of Technology is located on a 49,400 square meter site on the west side of the original track and field area. It is situated at the foot of the Ziwu Tide Mountain in the Ziwu Tide National Forest Park, adjacent to the school library, with the ancient Yunhe Canal Road to the south and Shangbu River Road to the north. The new venue has a total building area of 12,689 square meters spread across three floors above ground.

Ordos City, China

PLAT ASIA is designated to renovate an urban square, "SHIJIE" in Kangbashi District, Ordos, China, into an all-people-friendly smart sports park to satisfy the necessity of increasing seeks for a healthy lifestyle using the public place. The original square is surrounded by the residents' zone, office building, school, and exhibition center, with a critical position and convenient transportation.

Moscow, United States

Inspired by the undulating landscape forms of the Palouse region, formed by the cataclysmic Missoula floods at the end of the Ice Age, the 4,000-seat multi-use Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) Arena was designed as a dramatic gateway to the University of Idaho campus. It serves as the home for the University’s basketball program and a gathering place for a variety of activities including athletic events, concerts, convocations, and campus programs.

This article is part of an ArchDaily curated series that focuses on built projects from our database grouped under specific themes related to cities, typologies, materials, or programs. Every month, we will highlight a collection of structures that find a common thread between previously uncommon contexts, unpacking the depths of influence on our built environments. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should mention specific ideas, please submit your suggestions.

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