Zaha Hadid, known as the Queen of Curves for her timeless, contemporary and futuristic designs, is one of the most iconic architects of her generation. She has expressed her boundless creativity throughout the world in a variety of contemporary buildings that never cease to amaze. As a means of expression and immediate travel, Zaha Hadid has been able to showcase her skills and imagination through another kind of venue: sports complexes.
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) won the design competition for the new international sports complex in Hangzhou, China. The new structure will include a soccer stadium, an indoor arena, an aquatic center, a river park and a series of public squares. The project will be sustainable and biodiversity-friendly, and will also include natural wetlands to help drain rainwater.
The city of Hangzhou, China, is home to the headquarters of some of China's largest technology companies and is one of the world's leading e-commerce centers. Conditions that have led to a strong growth in the resident population in recent years, including IT professionals and entrepreneurs from inland areas of the country. The " Hangzhou International Sports Centre " project, recently unveiled byZaha Hadid Architects, was born to meet the demands of the new citizens and the growing demand for additional services and meeting places for the residents. Th e Hangzhou International Sports Centre will include a soccer stadium, indoor arena, aquatic center, new river park and public plazas with direct access to the city's subway lines. It will be built within Hangzhou'sFuture Science and Technology Cultural Districtand will become a major reference for sports events, concerts and other cultural activities. The soccer stadium will be the largest structure and will be able to accommodate up to 60,000 fans. The indoor arena will accommodate up to 19,000 spectators and will be used for various sporting events, such as basketball and field hockey games, as well as major musical and cultural performances. Finally, there will be two 50-meter pools in the aquatic center.
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These three main structures will be connected by a layered podium inspired by the tea-growing terraces typical of the hills surrounding Hangzhou, which will contain accessory spaces and common facilities for the various sports disciplines as well as offices, stores, restaurants and cafes overlooking the podium courtyards and terraces. The stadium will also help to reinforce the reminder of the landscape and geology of the area, with its slatted facade giving it a layered and material appearance.
TheHangzhou International Sports Centre will be an avant-garde structure, built according to sustainability criteria, combining technological systems (photovoltaic installation and rainwater collection system) with solutions focused on biodiversity and an approach to preserving the local environment. The project includes the creation of wetlands along the river bank, where the local aquatic fauna and flora will naturally contribute to the filtration and drainage of rainwater and grey water.