Revitalisation Xujiahui Sports Park Shanghai

Exterior view of a large sports complex with multiple courts, surrounding pathways, stepped seating and the stadium building in the background.

Aerial view of a landscaped sports park featuring circular seating zones, curved pathways, terraced greenery and an adjacent sports court.

Exterior view of an arena with a circular building form, continuous glazing, wide pedestrian routes and landscaped park areas in the foreground.

Public Realm in Extreme Density

In the heart of Shanghai’s vibrant city centre, a formerly fragmented area dominated by traffic and parking has been transformed into an open, green landscape. Xujiahui Sports Park is now available around the clock for sport and recreation, serving as a new meeting place for both the neighbourhood and the wider city.

At a Glance

306,000 m² of open park landscape for leisure, sport, and events

60,000 m² of new indoor sports facilities with diverse offers

30% green coverage today, where formerly only concrete dominated

Modernisation of the existing stadium, swimming centre, and a multifunctional hall

Tension Between Urbanity and Nature

Shanghai continues to grow at tremendous speed. In a place where infrastructure and commercial uses once pushed the public realm aside, Xujiahui Sports Park now restores the balance between urbanity and nature. The design responds to the challenges of extreme urban density and creates space for movement and social interaction.

“Recreational open space has been returned to the district and enhances the established event area with a public stage on a human scale.”
– Jens Kump, Partner HPP

One Axis, Two Wings

The “One Axis, Two Wings” concept structures the park: the historic east-west axis with its stadiums is preserved and flanked by two new green areas. The northern “Relaxing Park” offers open meadows and fitness facilities, while the southern “Sports Park” focuses on sports fields and the new indoor sports complex. A jogging track acts as the connecting element throughout the entire park.

Continuing the Identity

Four historic buildings from the 1960s, including Shanghai Stadium and the indoor arena, shape the identity of the site. Their revitalisation preserves these sporting icons and complements them with contemporary functions within a new indoor sports hall. Façade designs reference historical elements and create a unified architectural language that connects past and present.

Sport and Nature in Dialogue

The only new building volume in the park nestles subtly beneath the flowing landscape and houses halls for badminton, tennis, and table tennis within the new indoor sports hall. Sunken basketball courts unfold in front of the hall. Terraced landscapes link the sports facilities with the elevated roofgarden landscape, which shields the new sports park from surrounding traffic noise. A fluid transition emerges between activity and recreation.

Technical Solutions for Urban Calm

A fully underground circulation system for private vehicles creates a carfree park at the heart of the metropolis, forming a new urban oasis. The underground integration of two metro stations provides optimal connectivity to the city’s transport network an example of holistic planning in a dense urban environment.

Project Profile

Project: Revitalisation Xujiahui Sports Park
Location: Shanghai
Client: Shanghai Administration of Sport + Shanghai Jiushi Group Co. Ltd
GFA: 306.000 m²
Completion: 2023
Awards: Architecture MasterPrize 2023 – Urban Design

Interior view of a multi‑storey swimming facility featuring a competition pool, surrounding gallery levels, wide window fronts and a clean linear design.

Interior view of a circular event arena featuring surrounding seating tiers, a black roof structure and a central multipurpose floor area.

Panoramic view of an urban sports and leisure campus featuring a stadium, arena buildings, landscaped roof areas and surrounding high‑rise development.