Construction of the SIP Sports Centre has started in the Chinese city of Suzhou. The sports centre in Suzhou Industrial Park was designed by Ham burg’s star architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partner, and has been scheduled for completion in 2017.
The sports venue will be surrounded by residential quarters, a hotel and a leisure district offering community sports facilities and public spaces.
The development is being funded jointly by Sizhou City and Jiangsu Regional authorities and when complete, the complex will form part of the larger Suzhou Industrial Park.
Hamburg Architects Designs for China’s Garden City
A spokesperson for architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners said: “Suzhou is famous in China for its landscape design, and the masterplan for this new sports park is based on this tradition and reputation. In a modern interpretation of the city’s traditional gardens, an informally designed park landscape flows around the podiums that rise in straight lines from the surrounding streets and support the stadiums.”
The beautiful conspicuous undulating roofs that on all three stadiums make the ensemble into a landmark visible from afar. As visitors walk along the curved pathways, various viewpoints open up to pavilion architecture, stunning water features, and a breathtaking landscape. Its curved silhouette stands out from the urban environment, blending harmoniously with the landscape and the park at the Xietang River. In addition, the succinct character of the stadiums is reinforced by a uniform façade design. The façades of both stadiums and the podiums are structured by horizontal lines, which follow the shape of the buildings in elegant curves.
The roof of the covered 15,000 capacity multi-purpose hall located to the north-east of the site is supported by v-shaped columns which provide a rhythm to the transparent glass façade of the hall.
The Heart of the Community
The multi-functional sports centre will include three national-standard venues includes a 45,000-seat stadium, an indoor pool with 3,000 seats and a 15,000-seat indoor arena. With its wide range of functions, the park has been designed to ensure a permanent and sustainable flow of visitors.
The facility is well connected to the Metro and offers the Suzhou residents not only a park, but also various shops for day-to-day needs, thus creating an attractive centre for the new part of the city.
