After a year’s delay, the 19th Asian Games began in Hangzhou on Saturday.
The Games were originally scheduled to be held in September 2022,
but were postponed due to the Covid epidemic and subsequent lockdown in China.
The 19th Asian Games will be held in six cities in Zhejiang Province,
with most of the events taking place in the capital, Hangzhou.
Below we will talk about eight stadiums created to host the two-week event:
Main Stadium of Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center by NBBJ and CCDI (2019)
This stadium, which can accommodate 80,000 spectators, is designed from lotus flowers usually found in the West Lake.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hangzhou.
A series of 56 petal-modular structures wrap around the stadium and serve as its exterior walls and roof.
In addition to the main stadium, the 4.3 million square foot site also includes a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena with a retractable roof,
In addition to aquatic and cultural centres, community playgrounds, retail stores, parking and public communications. Transfer.
It will serve as the main stadium during the Hangzhou Asian Games, with the opening and closing ceremonies being held here.
Natatorium at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center designed by Hu Yue Studio of Beijing Architectural Design Institute (2021)
The water sports center is located next to the main stadium of Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre.
It consists of a sports arena that can accommodate 18,000 seats, in addition to a natural park that can accommodate 6,000 seats.
Its shape is dominated by a curved roof clad in polished silver-white aluminum alloy panels.
Which conjures the image of a giant dragon momentarily frozen.
LED pixels are installed at the corners of each scale which illuminate the entire building surface.
The nature park will host many events during the Hangzhou Asian Games,
Including basketball, swimming, diving and synchronized swimming.
After the Games, it will be used as a multi-functional space for events.
Hybrid Playground from Archi-Tectonics (2022)
Designed by American studio Archi-Tectonics, the shape of this 5,000-seat stadium is inspired by the architecture of Kong –
It is an ancient Chinese jade artifact, with two intersecting elliptical shapes creating a rectangular bowl that merges the arena and amphitheater seating plans.
Each of the intersecting ellipses features a unique facade – one clad in copper panels and the other clad in steel and covered in flat glass. The inner bowl is completely covered with bamboo.
The stadium will host table tennis matches during this year’s Asian Games,
and will be transformed into a performing arts center after the tournament.
Field Hockey Arena, by Archi-Tectonics (2022)
Also from Archi-Tectonics, this 5,000-seat stadium consists of a 125-metre-long free-standing pavilion roof that shades the concourse and stands.
In addition to the field located on an oval grass field.
The materiality and structure of the roof is defined by traditional minong oil paper and bamboo canopies.
It spans the entire distance in one sweep with a single curved beam holding the roof together while maintaining grid tension.
In addition to hockey, the stadium will host outdoor movie screenings,
concerts and other events during the games.
Baseball and Soccer Cultural Center designed by the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Shaoxing (2022)
This stadium features a series of floating surfaces known as the “wing cloud.”
Which is achieved through a two-way truss system with a maximum cantilever of 16 meters supported by thin steel columns.
Curved perforated aluminum sheets are used on the facade in reference to traditional Chinese cultural symbols such as silk belts, scrolls and tiled roofs.
In addition to the winding canals of Shaoxing Water City, where the stadium is located.
It is the largest new venue built for the Hangzhou Asian Games in terms of area,
It is also the largest sports center for baseball and softball in China.
Fuyang Yinhu Sports Center from Zhejiang University Architectural Design and Research Institute (2021)
Multi-sectioned sloping roofs define the site that will host archery, shooting and modern pentathlon during the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The entire stadium is elevated on five different levels, resembling the nearby terraced mountains.
The facade is clad in more than 37,000 modules that rotate at different angles to create a unique pattern – a segmented interpretation of “Dwelling in the Fushun Mountains,”
It is a classic Chinese painting depicting the landscape of this region.
Shaoxing Olympic Sports Center, by the Group of China Aviation Planning and Design Institute and Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University (2021)
The indoor stadium and exhibition center are combined in this flowing, silver-gray architectural form that sits on a raised platform.
Circular lines run along the edge of the building to the roof, forming a series of bands that envelop the building.
The design is intended to resemble the rippling effect of the nearby river, as well as the shells of river mussels commonly found in Shaoxing’s waterways.
The stadium will be used to host basketball matches during this year’s Asian Games.
Tonglu Equestrian Center by Populous and Tongji Architectural Design Group (2022)
The center includes a main arena, a weather-resistant training hall, a stable area, and a track with a length of 5,000 meters and 3,104 seats.
In addition to other functional services such as grooms’ accommodation, training areas, a horse clinic, a barn, and a farrier factory.
From above, the outline of the main square recalls the Chinese character meaning “horse”,
While the curved shapes are a response to the surrounding landscape.
Designed as a collaboration between stadium specialist architecture studio Populous,
It is the only permanent venue in China that can host equestrian events.
For more architectural news
