Zhengzhou Olympic Sport Center

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Zhengzhou is an ancient capital of the Chinese Empire. As the city is rapidly growing, the government decided to develop a new area on the west side of the city, around a cultural and business district organized along an East-West axis. The site for the Olympic center is located at the West end of this axis, while the East side is occupied by the business district and marked by a new high tower.

The program is composed of an Olympic Stadium of 50000 seats, an Olympic Gymnasium of 10000 seats, an Olympic Swimming Pool of 3000 seats and other functions including hotels and shopping center. Organized on the scheme of “Two buildings and one field” (二馆一场) the project aims to fully complete the axis. Therefore we continued the main axis on the site and stop it with our main building: the Olympic stadium. We then place the swimming pool and the gymnasium by the sides, enhancing the stadium and creating a main plaza.

[Bird view perspective of the urban Axis] The big tower of the CBD, the urban Axis, the museum at the middle and the Sport center at the end. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Pedestrian perspective from the canal] The project looks like little mountains, like a sleeping dragon. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Bird view perspective] The stadium finishes the main Axis. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

Inspired by Chinese culture and Local culture, the project becomes a gate, a mountain, a dragon and reflects the strength of the old Chinese empire. Strongly inserted inside its environment, it is the end of the axis and a connection between the botanical garden on south and the green corridor of the canal on North.

The stadium has been conceived like a gate, an invitation to the people to enter. Therefore the South, West and North facades are treated altogether like an arena to enclose the field and finish the Axis, while the east facade is very open, presenting one huge arch to the main entrance. This arch is a structural element holding the roofs of the stadium. Another human scale arch is opened in the seats to keep this opened feeling from a close distance, allowing seeing inside the stadium from the main plaza. The main facade under the arch is composed of metallic strings with LED lights, becoming a huge screen during the night.
The swimming pool and the gymnasium are located on both side of the main axis and treated both like two symmetrical mountains. Their facades are enclosed on the outer part of the land, in continuity with the outer facade of the stadium and fold to create the roof. Their facades facing the main plaza are fully opened as it is their main entrances.

As an active part of the city, the project has been thanked to operate almost 24h a day, even when there is no game. Therefore the management and media spaces can be rent and hold activities as sport schools, fitness clubs, yoga classes, and the main plaza enjoys a sunken square with commerce linked to the hotel.

On this project I was responsible of the overall concept, the 3D conception, the facades design, the stadium design, the presentation and book layout, and the general graphic quality control.
This project got the second place of the CADG’s internal Excellence Award 2015 for the Architecture section.

[Concept & Massing] Inspired by Chinese and Local culture, the projects fits perfectly in its surrounding. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Master plan] Two buildings and one field finishing the urban Axis and connecting the botanical garden on the south with the green corridor of the canal on the North. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Bird view perspective] The stadium is like a gate, while the complete organization is base on the traditional courtyard. The outer facades of the swimming pool and the gymnasium are very closed and fold to create the roof while the inner facades are very opened to welcome people. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Pedestrian view perspective from the South West corner] The outer facade of the stadium finishes the axis. The stadium and the swimming pool outer facade are in continuity and use the same language. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[First and second floor plans of the stadium] All the management, athletes, media, VIP and technical are at the first floor under the platform while the second floor on the platform is free and open for the audience. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

Third and fourth floor plans of the stadium. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

Sections on the stadium. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Pedestrian perspective inside the stadium] The arch is supporting the roofs of the stadium. On the left the hole of the entrance arch, in front of the VIP tribune on the right. On the top right is the media box. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Pedestrian perspective inside the gymnasium] The roof alternates strips of metallic panels and strips of glazing, allowing the natural light to come inside the gymnasium. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Pedestrian view perspective of the main plaza] The inner facade of the stadium is composed of two arcs, one huge at the urban scale and one at human scale. From the main plaza people can see inside the stadium. During the night, the main facade of the stadium becomes a screen. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

[Occupation diagrams] The project has been thanked so as it is always active, even when there is no games. (c) 中国建筑设计院有限公司

Team:

Design Director:    Li Jingwei [李静威]
Project Manager:   Xu Yuanqing [徐元卿]
Architects:               Zhang Yinan [张翼南]
                                 Wu Xijia [吴锡嘉]
                                 Chimier Francois [弗朗科伊斯赤弥尔]
                                 Li Xuefei [李雪菲]
Structure:                CADG structure studio N.1 [中国建筑设计院有限公司第一工程设计研究院]

Under the direction of Jing Quan [景泉]

Keypoints:
Project name: Zhengzhou Olympic Sport Center [郑州奥林匹克体育中心设计]
Location: Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
Site Area: 258100 m2
Floor Area: 399900 m2
Phase: Competition
Year: 2015
Agency: China Architecture Design and Research Group [中国建筑设计院有限公司] [www.cadreg.com]