Xi’an, China
The following description is courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects.
The new Xi’an International Football Centre will be a 60,000-seat stadium for
national and international matches as well as domestic league games, youth
training academies, entertainment performances and cultural events. The
centre will be located in Xi’an’s Fengdong New District with its stations on the
city’s expanding metro network.
With a population of nine million people and two professional football clubs,
Xi’an will be a host city of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian
Cup in China. Taking its legacy mode of operations as the starting point of the
design, the stadium has been designed to provide optimum conditions for
football and maximize its use by generations after the 2023 tournament.
Integrated within the orthogonal urban grid of Fengdong’s business district,
the stadium’s open façades invite the city into the heart of the building to
enjoy its public spaces, recreation and dining facilities throughout the day.
Located in a series of shaded south-facing garden terraces with views over the
city to Qing Mountain, these amenities will also serve spectators visiting the
stadium during football matches, cultural events and performances.
The sweeping lines of the façade protect the stadium from northerly winds and
convey the fluid forms of the roof that shelters the saddle-shaped seating bowl
which maximizes the spectator seating provided at midfield.
The design employs an ultra-lightweight long span cable-net roof structure,
resulting in a minimum load and material footprint that in turn reduces the
stadium’s primary structure. Wide perimeter roof overhangs shelter facilities
within the building’s envelope while the large, shaded, open-air terraces and
public concourses incorporates extensive planting on all levels, providing
comfortable conditions in Xi’an’s hot continental summer climate.
Supported by the tensioned cable-net structure, a translucent membrane over
the seating protects spectators from inclement weather and direct sunlight
while also allowing the most amount of natural light to reach the playing
surface, promoting the growth of grass on the pitch to provide playing
conditions of the highest standard.
Digital modelling has defined the geometry of the spectators’ seating bowl to
optimize proximity and views to the field of play from all 60,000 seats,
generating the most exciting atmosphere for football and ensuring an
outstanding match experience for all players and spectators.
China’s ancient capital and core of the Silk Road, Xi’an has a long history of
welcoming visitors from around the world. In the global arena of football, the
Xi’an International Football Centre continues this tradition and builds a lasting
legacy of new civic spaces, sports and recreational facilities for the city.
