Sports Architecture: The Latest Architecture and News

Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, designed as a result of a collaboration between global architects Populous and Dublin‐based architects, Scott Tallon Walker was officially opened Friday by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, TD. Aviva Stadium, previously called the Lansdowne Road Stadium, hosted its first game of international rugby in 1878. The 50,000 seat stadium will be used for international rugby and soccer fixtures and as a concert and events venue.

Complete press release after the break.

Our friends from CEBRA shared their recently awarded Sports Center design with us. The 3.5 m2 extension will incorporate handicap friendly solutions within a sports facility, as almost 50 % of the students attending Egmont High School experience some form of disability whether it be that they are blind, mentally challenged or an amputee. Entitled Kolden, the Danish world for ‘the globe’, the project reflects the fact the everyone is welcomed in the facility.

More images, great diagrams and information about the project after the break.

Swedish architects We Are You received third prize for an international competition for the new Bicycling Center in Philadelphia.

More images and architect’s description after the break.

NBBJ, in collaboration and partnership with CCDI, have designed the Hangzhou Sports Park: A vibrant, pedestrian-centric sports and recreation development located in the midst of Hangzhou’s new urban environment. Situated on the Qian Tang riverfront opposite of the new Central Business District, and encompassing a site of approximately 400,000 square meters, the sports park is seen as an opportunity for creating picturesque and sustainable public spaces that are often elusive in the newly constructed urbanism of China. This new place making will be accomplished while intelligently balancing the long-term commercial viability of the sports development.

See more images and architect’s description after the break.

Whether you practice archery or you like jogging in a gym with a nice view, you’ll like our third selection of previoulsy featured sports architecture projects. Check all of them after the break.

Archery Center / Atelier Phileas The archery centre of Chennevières-sur-Marne is located in an area of low density in a green setting. For this reason, we choose to articulate our project around three majors axis: The treatment of the outdoor shooting field is completely part of the building: Its implantation is justified by the need to orientate the outdoor shooting lanes and the targets, north (read more…)

UR Architects were awarded first prize for their design of a sports center in Antwerp. The center, which is intended for non-competition sports, is aligned with the existing sports hall along the main street of the new master plan development. The building attempts “to communicate” on all sides as the sports hall, dance hall and rental depot are positioned on the edge, interconnected by a T-shaped service area. This extroverted model opens the building to the community and the architecture reflects the modernism of the surrounding buildings. The roof is designed as a fifth facade to relate to the nearby housing blocks of Renaat Braem while the facades of the halls are made of multi-layered polycarbonate. Partly translucent, partly transparent, this material combines the dynamic spectacle of changing light and shade, with diffuse daylight admission and a high insulation value, resulting in a low energy building.

More images of the sports center after the break.

Almost six months till the 2010 South Africa World Cup kicks off. A while ago, we told you we’ll be featuring the stadiums that will host this huge competition. We started with Soccer City Stadium, designed by Boogertman Urban Edge and Partners in partnership with Populous. This week, we’ll be featuring three stadiums designed by gmp architekten. We’ll start with the Moses Mabhida Stadium, in the city of Durban. The stadium was also designed by Theunissen Jankowitz Durban, Ambro-Afrique Consultants, Osmond Lange Architects & Planners, NSM Designs, and Mthulisi Msimang.

More images and architect’s description after the break.

Designed by Aedas Sport, the innovative 75,000-seat stadium will be the first LEED-certified building in the NFL and will capture the luxury and drama of the world’s entertainment capital. The project anticipates completion for the 2013 season. Both the NFL and the client, Majestic Realty, are committed to making a progressive statement with this building and are exploring a number of initiatives that will make this the most environmentally progressive stadium in the U.S. Aedas Sport has employed the unique topography of the site to build the stadium into a hillside, reducing the steel structure by 40% and allowing at least two-thirds of the seating bowl to be built on grade.

More images and full architect’s description after the break.