A new landmark for Chinese soccer
SAIC Motor Pudong Arena
Client: Shanghai Jiushi (Group) Co.,Ltd. / Location: Shanghai
GFA: 139,304 m² / Seating capacity: 33,765 / Completion: 2021
Awards: 2021 ICONIC Award - Innovation Architecture, iF Design Award 2022, The 9th Architectural Creation Award of ASSC
Services: Lead consulting, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture
Starting position
The 33,765-seat SAIC Motor Pudong Arena will be the new home of Shanghai Port FC. HPP won the international competition at the end of 2017 and were subsequently commissioned with the implementation of the Shanghai Stadium.
In addition to the Xujiahui Sports Park, which is currently under construction, the stadium is the second sports facility in the city currently being planned by the Shanghai HPP office. The new stadium is being built in Shanghai's outlying green belt - approx. 13 km from the city centre - on a building site of approx. 10 hectares.
Form
The form of the stadium is reminiscent of a traditional, Chinese, porcelain bowl. The compact appearance of the flat geometry is highlighted by the shimmering, white metal façade and the gently curved shell.
Function
A generous, circumferential walkway around the open, glazed ground floor serves as a conduit for the streams of visitors, inviting them to stroll, linger and gather.
The raised promenade area is reached by a stairway, where visitors can relax before, between and after half-time breaks.
From this point, they can reach the interior of the stadium directly via access points between the upper and lower tiers - the two-tier arrangement makes for efficient circulation. The cantilevered upper tier ensures optimum visibility of the pitch all the way to the top rows. Stadium capacity is 33,765 seats.
Superstructure
The flat roof construction of the stadium functions much like the principle of a spoked wheel. Using an inner tension ring and an outer compression ring, it functions as a thin suspension cable construction. The supporting structure of the stands simultaneously forms the geometry of the outer skin. The design of the podium, spectator terraces and façade merges to form a complete organism.
Multifunctionality
The plans envisage that the PSAIC Motor Pudong Arena will not only be a soccer stadium, but also an important urban location for fitness, leisure and entertainment for the general public. A wide range of training areas and public facilities makes it a new national sports centre.
"The architecture of the new stadium picks up on the club's identity, its fanbase and support for young talent and thus creates a very special soccer experience."
Jens Kump, Partner HPP
