Soriano & Arquitectos Asociados (S&Aa) together with JC Architecture + Near Future Architects + Bernabeu Ingenieros + Urculo Ingenieros has unveiled its plans for 'The Pitcher’s Mounds' a project that received fourth place in a competition to design the Tainan Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadiums and Training Centers in Taiwan.
In an effort to “return to the origins” of the playing field—a horizontally-based, natural concept rather than the vertical and enclosed idea of a stadium—the design of the complex is conceptualized as an urban garden.
A sports stadium for baseball, soccer, or swimming is not a building. But a landscape instead. Hence, a set of sports stadiums is an urban park, an urban garden - explains the architect in a media release.
The stadiums, training facilities, and other related programs are arranged in “a landscape of soft hills and waves,” with each program occupying its own ellipse-shaped area. These ellipses of varying sizes are arranged and layered according to three subcategories: natural landscapes, such as lakes and gardens, artificial landscapes, like stadiums, and circulation, which includes pedestrian paths and vehicle roads.
One main pedestrian road cuts across the entire site and leads to the main stadium, which is placed on a large hill, underneath it is where players and administration spaces will be located. This hill will be created from existing soil removed from the site so that no external soil supply is necessary. Furthermore, no soil will be taken from the site, thereby creating an equilibrium of material.
Additionally, the roof structure of the main stadium will not be one continuous or solid piece, but rather, a conglomeration of variously sized pieces resembling clouds or tree leaves, which, together, will cover all of the stands. These pieces will furthermore be translucent, so as to allow for natural lighting, and to lower electricity expenses.
