Stade de Casablanca
A Stadium Concept Shaped by Local Identity
The strong identity of Morocco serves not only as inspiration but as the structural foundation of the competition proposal for the new Stade de Casablanca. Ornament, landscape, and culture merge into an architectural principle that defines form, system and atmosphere in equal measure.
Exceptional capacity With around 118,000 seats, one of the largest stadium visions worldwide
Multifunctional use Primarily designed for football, but also suitable for concerts, basketball, volleyball, or kart racing
Radial structural motif A geometry inspired by Moroccan ornamentation shapes the character of the entire stadium
Organic landform design The façade pattern continues into the landscape, linking the stadium and its surroundings through terrain and pathways
Integrated visitor circulation Nine functional islands consolidate routes, services and logistics into a clear, intuitive system
Given its selection as a venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the competition demanded an unmistakable architectural idea. Early design phases explored numerous volumetric options, guided by art, traditional architecture, national symbolism, and the surrounding topography. With the support of parametric visualization tools, a form gradually emerged that precisely embraces the pitch and intuitively organizes the spectator tiers. Its design language feels both culturally rooted and future‑oriented.
The defining element of the design is the diamond‑shaped radial structural motif. Eighteen primary frames form a continuous diagrid structure, a diagonal spatial framework that distributes loads efficiently while making the architectural concept visible. Leaf‑like panels span between the structural members, whose subtle variations create a refined rhythmic effect. Structure, façade, and interior speak a unified architectural language, giving the stadium its unmistakable identity.
The structural system is composed of two precisely interlocking layers. The diagrid forms the spatial base, while a cable‑supported roof spans beneath it. An outer compression ring, an inner tension ring, and a network of radial and diagonal cables create a lightweight construction capable of bridging significant spans. A membrane stretched over the cable network encloses the volume, generating the stadium’s sculpted form and producing a roofscape that appears both orderly and lightweight.
The guiding motif extends from the stadium into the surrounding landscape. Like the light of a traditional lantern, it spreads across the terrain, forming the underlying logic of the circulation system.
The design uses this pattern both functionally and atmospherically as orientation, as landform modeling, and as a gesture merging architecture and landscape.
On the ground floor, nine islands structure the public zones. They create orientation and combine gathering spaces, kiosks, service points, and staircases into an open and welcoming spatial framework. The result is a stadium interior that blends generosity with accessibility.
With a capacity of around 118,000 spectators, the concept ranks among the largest stadium designs worldwide. Efficient crowd organization is therefore a core element of the proposal. The interplay of radial order, organic landscape logic, and a clearly legible circulation system demonstrates how a stadium of this magnitude can remain intuitive for visitors. The architectural idea unifies structure, function, culture, and atmosphere into a coherent whole.
- Project
- Stade de
- Location
- Casablanca
- Client
- Republic of Morocco, Ministry of Sports
- Partners
- KPF
- Competition
- 2024
- Uses
- Stadium for football, sports, events and concerts, comple-mented by business and media facilities
- Capacity
- 118,000
