OODA Design Redefines the Connection Between Sport, City, and Community

Designed by OODA, this new building redefines the relationship between sport, city, and community.

The Arena Liga Portugal is a multifunctional building that hosts a wide range of programs, including offices, an auditorium, a museum, a sports pavilion, and a large garden area that connects the structure to the surrounding urban space. Although seemingly simple in form, it relies on complex architectural solutions. Guided by ideas such as the green roof and the bold, iconic geometry of the cube, the project was shaped through an iterative process of volumetric exploration.

Strategically located, its design aims to establish it as both a visual and functional landmark. Natural light played a central role throughout the design process, with each opening carefully positioned to bring sunlight into the interior, creating a narrative of textures and shadows. The interplay of light and shadow transforms materials like concrete and glass, infusing spaces with dynamism. At night, it becomes an urban beacon, its lighting accentuating the building’s geometric lines in the cityscape.

One of the project’s defining features is the cube-shaped tower. Its white hexagonal façade references the world of football—evoking the texture of a ball or the net of a goal—while the use of glass and fiberglass generates dynamic geometric patterns that capture and reflect light.


The design brief also called for the inclusion of a public square – both as an extension of the city and the main entry point to the building. Public areas are arranged around the square at ground level, while more private functions are housed in the tower above, creating a clear spatial hierarchy.

Photography: Pedro Cardigo
Source: V2com