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. 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.
The sweeping lines of the façade protect the stadium from the northerly winds and convey the fluid forms of the roof that shelters the saddle-shaped seating bowl. The design employs an ultra-lightweight long span cable-net roof structure, resulting in minimum load and material footprint which 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 incorporate 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 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.
China’s ancient capital and core of the Silk Road, Xi’an will be a host city for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in China.
