Architecture studio Populous has revealed its design for the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, which is a proposed 2034 World Cup venue.

Named after Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, the stadium in the Qiddiya entertainment district will have a retractable roof and pitch.

One side of the stadium will be a large, retractable LED wall, which will be used to broadcast live events, films and laser shows. When retracted, it will reveal an opening that allows the pitch's three-sided seating to overlook the 200-metre-high Tuwaiq cliff that the stadium is perched upon.

"It is set to be the world's first fully integrated venue with a combined retractable roof, pitch and LED wall – an architectural innovation offering unparalleled versatility and allowing the space to transform into different event modes in a matter of hours," said Populous.

Digital screens will cover the exterior of the geometric venue, which appears to rise out of the cliffside in a series of staggered blocks.

Surrounding the stadium will be towers of sports and entertainment spaces connected by an internal street, also covered by LED screens, that will direct visitors to openings with cliff-edge views.

"The stadium exterior is formed by a collection of modular cubes that act as an extension of the Tuwaiq cliff, framed by portals that glimpse into the future of the city," said Populous senior principal Rhys Courtney.

"The cubes and portals spill down the cliff to create a massive digital canvas that interacts with users at different scales – from street-level vistas to the three-sided seating bowl experience, to citywide views – transcending the stadium typology."

The stadium forms part of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with Populous designing the 45,000-seat stadium to FIFA requirements.

It will become the home ground of Saudi Arabis's pro league football clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, but the stadium is set to host a range of events in sports, entertainment and culture, including boxing, esports, concerts and theatre performances.

"The Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium represents a quantum leap in stadium design and a new generation of digitally-enabled innovation," said Populous managing director Chris Lee.

"The level of embedded technology will enable both incredible gaming and entertainment experiences and a new way for fans to watch and enjoy football itself."

The Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium will be the focal point of a wider entertainment and esports district for Qiddiya designed by Populous, which is also set to include a neon-lit esports arena.

With construction underway to the west of Riyadh, Qiddiya is one of 14  "giga-projects" planned to boost tourism in Saudi Arabia and is 100 per cent owned by the Public Investment Fund.

As well as the Populous-designed stadium and esports area, the entertainment megaproject will contain concert halls, a race track, a Jack Nicklaus-branded golf course and a Six Flags theme park with the world's longest, tallest and fastest rollercoaster.

Populous designed the stadium to be well integrated into Qiddiya city and connected to other venues in the gaming and esports district through park-and-ride facilities and drop-off zones. Hotel, shopping and dining areas will be built close by.

Low-energy, climate-controlled facilities will ensure comfortable temperatures year-round, including a lake built under the stadium that reuses captured rainwater to pre-cool the air conditioning system.

Other designs by Populous include the redevelopment of Manchester City's Etihad Stadium to add a hotel and museum and the Geodis Park stadium in Nashville, which the studio claims is the US's largest purpose-built soccer stadium.

The images and video are courtesy of Populous.

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US architecture studio DLA+ has unveiled its design for a multi-purpose sports- and entertainment building in Incheon, South Korea, containing the Cheongna SSG baseball stadium and a shopping centre.

Working with retail franchise Shinsegae Group, DLA+ claims the project will be "the world's first baseball stadium with an integrated shopping mall and the first privately funded professional sporting venue in South Korea".

Set to be completed in 2028, the covered stadium will be home to South Korean professional baseball team SSG Landers and will have seating for 21,000 spectators.

Connected to the stadium will be the Starfield shopping mall, designed by engineering firm Arcadis. In addition to baseball games, the venue will host other sporting events, concerts and a range of private and community activities.

By combining the stadium with a mall, DLA+ hopes more visitors will be encouraged to visit the building year-round.

"Both programs benefit each other," studio principal Sunghoon Jung told Dezeen. "The stadium will have a longer exposure before and after the game and on non-game days, and the mall will draw more customers on game days."

The project will also include a hotel with guest rooms and an infinity pool overlooking the stadium's baseball field.

"The infinity pool is designed with two concepts in mind, seeing and being seen," said Jung.

"Guests in the infinity pool area can watch the game while enjoying their time in the pool. Their activity is a great scene as a backdrop for the fans watching the game."

The DLA+ principal explained that most sporting venues in South Korea are government-owned. As the country's first privately-funded stadium, Jung claimed that DLA+'s design will be centred around the fans' experience.

"Government-owned and funded stadium projects in Korea are very difficult for the sports design expertise to engage in in the early project planning process – it usually lacks a vision and strategies," he said.

"Our project, the first privately funded Korean stadium, went through a heavy visioning and planning process that became a foundation and guiding principle for the design," added Jung.

"This baseball stadium is being built from the ground up with fan experience and revenue generation in mind – we believe that its success will have a positive impact on the future of the Korean sports and entertainment industry."

Other stadium designs that have recently been featured on Dezeen include Populous's plans to expand Manchester City's Etihad Stadium by adding a museum and hotel and the renovation of the National Football League stadium in Jacksonville, which will feature reflective cladding wrapping the stadium's exterior.

The images are by Arcadis.

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Conservation groups including the Twentieth Century Society and World Monuments Fund have called for the 1960s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, India, to be saved from demolition.

The groups made statements following news that the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, which was designed by Indian architect Charles Correa, is set to be demolished as part of Ahmedabad's bid to host the 2036 Olympics.

"The SVP Stadium is a modernist Indian coliseum: a remarkable example of innovative and expressive post-Independence design, and one of architect Charles Correa's most distinctive buildings," said a Twentieth Century Society spokesperson.

"We join international voices in calling for this architectural and sporting landmark to be saved, and not face the same fate as the Hall of Nations in Delhi [designed by Raj Rewal] – demolished in 2017 despite a global outcry."

Demolition "in-principle greenlit"

The stadium is set to be demolished and replaced with a modern facility ahead of the potential Olympics in 2036, reported local newspaper Ahmedabad Mirror.

According to the publication, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has "in principle greenlit the plan" to demolish the building.

Designed in collaboration with engineer Mahendra Raj, the stadium was built largely from pre-cast components and has a distinctive appearance with a sculptural facade. Its stands are partially covered by a cantilevered, concrete roof.

In recent years the stadium has fallen into a state of disrepair and has now been declared unfit for use by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Stadium "characterised India's post-independence period"

The stadium was named in the World Monuments Fund's most under-threat buildings list in 2020 due to its architectural significance.

According to the organisation it "represents the progressive ideals and experimental spirit that characterised India's post-independence period" and is "notable for its visionary use of concrete and cantilevering".

At the time, the organisation worked with the Getty Foundation to create a conservation plan. It is now urging the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation to reconsider its demolition plans.

"As the city of Ahmedabad plans its 2036 Olympic bid, we are optimistic that this is an opportunity to breathe new life into the historic stadium and recommit to its conservation," said the conservation organisation.

"We welcome the Amdavad Municipal Corporation's proposal to re-examine our conservation plan in light of the Olympic bid and hope that the project can become an icon for preservation and revitalisation across the country."

The building is the latest significant piece of 1960s architecture to be under threat of demolition with news that Kenzo Tange's modernist gymnasium is set to be demolished coming earlier this year and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad dormitories designed by American architect Louis Kahn also under threat.

In Japan, demolition has begun on the Nakagin Capsule Tower, while in Scotland a brutalist 1960s concrete megastructure named The Centre Cumbernauld is set to be demolished.

The photography is courtesy of the World Monuments Fund.

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After a year-long delay the 19th Asian Games begins in Hangzhou on Saturday. Here, Dezeen rounds up eight new stadiums built specifically to host the sporting tournament.

The games were originally scheduled for September 2022, but were postponed due to the Covid pandemic and subsequent lockdown in China.

They will take place across six cities in Zhejiang province, with the majority of the events happening in the capital city of Hangzhou.

Below are eight stadiums constructed to host the two-week event:

Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center main stadium by NBBJ and CCDI (2019)

The design of this 80,000-seat stadium is informed by the lotus flowers commonly found in the West Lake, a UNESCO world heritage site in Hangzhou. A series of 56 modular petal structures wrap the stadium and serve as its exterior walls and roof.

In addition to the main stadium, the 4.3 million-square-foot site also includes a 10,000-seat multi-purpose, retractable-roof arena, as well as aquatic and cultural centres, community playing fields, retail, parking, and connections to public transport.

It will serve as the main stadium during the Hangzhou Asian Games, with both the opening and closing ceremony held here.

Find out more about the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center ›

Natatorium of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre by Hu Yue Studio of Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (2021)

Adjacent to the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center main stadium, the aquatics centre is comprised of an 18,000-seater sports arena as well as a 6,000-seats natatorium.

Its form is dominated by a curving roof clad with a refined form of silver-white aluminium alloy scales, evoking the image of a giant dragon momentarily frozen in motion. LED pixels are installed at the corners of each scale that light up the entire building surface.

The natatorium will host various events during the Hangzhou Asian Games, including basketball, swimming, diving, and synchronised swimming. After the games, it will be used as a multi-function event space.

Hybrid Stadium by Archi-Tectonics (2022)

Designed by US studio Archi-Tectonics, the shape of this 5,000-seat stadium is informed by the geometry of the Cong — an ancient Chinese jade-stone artefact, with two intersecting ellipsoids creating an oblong bowl that merges the arena and amphitheatre seating schemes.

Each of the intersecting ellipses features a unique facade texture — one clad in brass shingles and the other a steel clad in planar glass. The inner bowl is entirely clad in bamboo.

The stadium will host the table tennis games during this year's Asian Games and will be adapted to a performing arts centre after the tournament.

Field Hockey Stadium, by Archi-Tectonics (2022)

Also by Archi-Tectonics, this 5,000-seat stadium consists of a 125-metre free-span wing roof that shades the lobby and stands, as well as the playing field set in a recessed oval grass field.

The roof's materiality and structure are informed by traditional Meinong oil paper and bamboo umbrellas. It spans the entire distance in one sweep with a single curving beam holding the roof together while keeping the mesh in tension.

In addition to field hockey, the stadium will host outdoor film screenings, concerts, and other events during the games.

Baseball and Softball Sports Cultural Center by Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Shaoxing (2022)

This stadium features a series of floating roofs known as the "wing cloud", which is realised by a bidirectional truss system with a maximum cantilever of 16 metres supported by slender steel columns.

Curved perforated aluminium plates are used on the facade in reference to traditional Chinese cultural symbols such as silk belts, scrolls and tile roofs, as well as the meandering canals of the Shaoxing water town in which the stadium sits.

It is the largest new venue constructed for the Hangzhou Asian Games by area, and also is the largest baseball and softball sports centre in China.

Fuyang Yinhu Sports Center by Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (2021)

Multi-section sloping roofs mark out a site that will host shooting, archery and modern pentathlon during the Hangzhou Asian Games. The entire stadium is elevated at five different levels, resembling the terraced mountains nearby.

The facade is clad with more than 37,000 unit modules rotating at different angles to create a unique pattern — a pixelated interpretation of "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains", a classic Chinese painting that depicts the natural landscape of this region.

Shaoxing Olympic Sports Centre, by China Aviation Planning and Design Institute Group and Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University (2021)

An indoor stadium and an exhibition centre are combined in this silver-grey flowing form of architecture that sits on an elevated platform. Circular lines rotate along the edge of the building to the roof, forming a series of ribbons that wrap the building.

The design is intended to resemble the ripple effect in the adjacent river, as well as the shells of river mussels commonly found in the waterways of Shaoxing.

The stadium will be used to host basketball games during this year's Asian Games.

Tonglu Equestrian Centre by Populous and Tongji Architectural Design Group (2022)

The centre comprises a main arena, weatherproof training hall, stable area, 5,000-metre track and 3,104 seats, as well as other functional services such as grooms' residential and training accommodation, equine clinic, barn and farrier factory.

Seen from above, the outline of the main arena recalls the Chinese character for "horse", while the curving forms are a response to the surrounding natural landscape.

Designed as a collaboration involving stadium specialist architecture studio Populous, it is the only permanent venue in China that can host equestrian events.

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Football club Real Madrid has played its first game in the remodelled Santiago Bernabéu stadium, which is nearing completion following a revamp by architecture studios L35, Ribas & Ribas and GMP Architecten.

A video released by the club ahead of the first match in the renovated stadium showed the structure with its new wrap-around facade largely complete and its retractable roof in place.

Real Madrid returned to the stadium to play fellow Spanish team Getafe on 2 September in the club's first game since the renovation began. The retractable roof was closed for the game.

Alongside the addition of a retractable roof and a steel facade, the renovation has seen the addition of a terrace surrounding the stadium on top of the stands and a new pitch removal and storage system.

Designed to allow the stadium to be used for large-scale events, the retractable pitch will be housed in six underground levels and feature an underground irrigation system and ultraviolet lighting to maintain the quality of the grass.

The renovation will also see the stadium's capacity raised from around 81,000 to 85,000, although only just over 66,000 watched the opening match.

Beginning in 2019, the revamp was designed by Spanish studios L35 and Ribas & Ribas as well as German studio GMP Architecten.

One of the world's best-known stadiums, the Santiago Bernabéu was originally built in 1947 and designed by architects Manuel Muñoz Monasterio and Luis Alemany Soler. It has seen several additions and renovations since.

L35 and Ribas & Ribas and GMP Architecten aimed to give the stadium a unified appearance with the new louvred steel facade.

In other recent stadium news at Europe's top football clubs the San Siro, which is home to Inter and AC Milan, was saved from demolition and Manchester City announced plans to add a hotel to its Etihad Stadium.

The video is courtesy of Real Madrid.

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The iconic San Siro in Milan, which was set to be replaced by a Populous-designed stadium, has been saved from demolition because of its "cultural heritage".

The stadium, which is shared by Italian football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan, was rescued from demolition by the Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy due to the cultural significance its distinctive appearance.

Originally designed by architect Ulisse Stacchini in the 1920s, the stadium has been expanded and renovated several times, with engineers Armando Ronca and Ferruccio Calzolari adding the distinctive second tier and ramped staircases in 1955.

"The Regional Commission for the Cultural Heritage of Lombardy expressed a positive opinion on the existence of cultural heritage of the second tier at the San Siro stadium, in view of future verification under article 12 of Legislative Decree 42/2004," the organisation said in a statement shared with sports media platform Tribuna.

"Thus, the committee endorses the proposal of the superintendence," it added.

"It should also be noted that the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence for Lombardy, during the same session, recalled the value of the west grandstand of the stadium as an 'exposed archive' for the plaques/epigraphs documenting the national and international successes of Inter and Milan."

Milan teams consider separate stadiums

San Siro, which was extensively remodelled by Milan studio Ragazzi and Partners ahead of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, was set to be replaced by a stadium designed by architecture studio Populous named the Cathedral.

Instead, AC Milan and Inter Milan are now reportedly looking for two separate sites for their future stadiums.

Dezeen understands that if the two clubs go their separate ways, Populous would likely work with Inter Milan on the design of its future stadium due to its historical links with the club. The club reportedly plans for its new stadium to be located in the Rozzano area, south of Milan.

AC Milan is said to be planning to build a stadium in San Donato Milanese, where the club has acquired a majority stake in the Sportlifecity company, which holds development rights for the land in the area, according to newspaper The Stadium Business.

The new AC Milan stadium would have a capacity of 60,000-70,000 seats.

San Siro stadium important "for the protection of memory"

The San Siro news comes after Italian undersecretary for culture, Vittorio Sgarbi, promised in January that the stadium would not be torn down.

"I am convinced that the stadium should not be demolished, not so much for its architectural value as for the importance as a symbol and for the protection of memory," Sgarbi told Italian newspaper Il Giorno at the time.

"For this reason, as far as I am concerned, I will take all the necessary steps to prevent it from being torn down."

The Populous stadium that was set to replace San Siro was informed by two of Milan's best-known buildings, the Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade. The area around the stadium would have become pedestrian-only, with existing parking moved underground.

The architecture studio was recently chosen to design the redevelopment of a stand at UK football club Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, which would increase capacity while adding a museum and a hotel.

It also recently unveiled the world's largest spherical building, an LED-covered venue in Las Vegas.

There have been other suggested uses for San Siro in the past. In 2020, architect Angelo Renna envisioned turning it into a tree-covered coronavirus memorial.

The main image is by Prelvini via Wikimedia Commons.

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The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features a concept for a Colosseum-like stadium by Apollodorus Architecture. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now.

Apollodorus Architecture has revealed its conceptual design for a stadium in Bath, UK, in response to a proposed redevelopment put forward by Bath Rugby.

The building, which was designed by the studio's director Mark Wilson Jones with Jakub Ryng, would feature an oval shape in reference to Roman amphitheatres.

This week's newsletter also included an opinion piece by Matt Shaw in which he reflects on the closing of Heatherwick Studio's Vessel in New York, a series of identical dwellings in Mexico by architect Ludwig Godefroy and Zaha Hadid Architects' plans for a skyscraper in China's Xi'an business district.

Dezeen Agenda

Dezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Tuesday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to our other newsletters; Dezeen Debate is sent every Thursday and features the hottest reader comments and most-debated stories, Dezeen Daily is our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours and Dezeen In Depth is sent on the last Friday of every month and delves deeper into the major stories shaping architecture and design. 

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Football club Manchester City has won approval to redevelop a stand at its stadium in Manchester, UK, to increase capacity while adding a museum and hotel.

Designed by architecture studio Populous, the redevelopment of the Etihad Stadium's North Stand will increase the venue's capacity by more than 5,000.

The expansion will also include the creation of a large entertainment and hospitality building connected to the stand. Flanking a covered square, it will contain a 400-bed hotel, a museum and a club shop.

The development of the North Stand, which received planning approval last week, will see a large upper tier added above the existing lower tier that will be retained.

A sky bar with views of the pitch will be integrated into the top of the stand, which will be topped with a "stadium roof-walk experience". This is similar to the one Populous created above the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London, which opened in 2019.

The redevelopment is the latest expansion to Etihad Stadium, which is home to Premier League football club Manchester City. It was originally designed by Arup as a 38,000-seat venue to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Following the games it was restructured into a 48,000-seat football stadium.

Populous previously added an expanded South Stand to the building in 2015, which increased the stadium's capacity to 54,600.

The current expansion is set to be completed in 2026. It is being built as part of the redevelopment of the Etihad Campus, where Populous is also creating the Co-op Live arena that will open next year.

"For Populous, it is extremely exciting to witness the development of this project, located just a stone's throw away from another of our projects, the Co-op Live arena," said Populous senior principal Mike Trice.

"These ambitious ventures represent two of Manchester's greatest loves — football and music, and will bring significant benefits to the local area by drawing in visitors and delivering further regeneration."

Architecture studio Populous also recently unveiled the largest purpose-built soccer stadium in the US and is currently designing an "intimate yet intimidating" stadium for NFL team Buffalo Bills and a solar-powered arena as a "landmark for Munich".

The imagery is courtesy of Populous.

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British studio Apollodorus Architecture has designed a Colosseum-like stadium in Bath, UK, as a response to a proposed redevelopment put forward by Bath Rugby.

Apollodorus Architecture proposed the redesign of the Recreation ground site in the centre of Bath, which is currently being redeveloped.

A final development brief was recently submitted for the project that has a rectangular shape and long, straight roofs, which Apollodorus Architecture argues are "at odds with Bath's animated roofscape".

Apollodorus Architecture's alternative scheme, which was designed by the studio's director Mark Wilson Jones with Jakub Ryng, would feature an oval shape that references Roman amphitheaters.

The studio believes this would merge more organically with the context of the surrounding city than the proposed stadium.

"Architecturally, there is actually very little to speak of," Wilson Jones said of the official Stadium for Bath proposal. "The new design put forward by Bath Rugby is clearly an expedient budget solution."

"In some respects, this actually makes it more successful and more likely to secure planning than the club's previous proposals for the site," he told Dezeen.

"But putting the architecture aside, our main issue with the current scheme is that by not engaging with the site in its entirety – that is, including the leisure centre – it would torpedo any possibility of a happier long-term future for the area."

His studio, whose work is "rooted in research, scholarship and the experience of historic architecture", has instead visualised an oval design that would have a capacity of around 18,000 – the same as the official proposal.

It believes this better adheres to Bath's historical origins while being more fitting for the site itself, which has an existing leisure centre from the 1970s that is set to be refurbished and improved as part of the new plan.

"The key to unlocking the site's potential is planning the stadium in conjunction with the leisure centre," Wilson Jones said. "Once we realised this, we settled on using an oval and not a rectangle for the stadium."

This shape would also have the benefit of not creating any hard corners, he added.

"The Romans invented the ellipse or oval for spectacles, so the choice seems apt given the city's Romano-British origins," Wilson Jones said.

"An oval has less bulk than a rectangle serving the same capacity and no hard corners. The curving structure of the proposed amphitheatre can merge organically with its context, as do Bath's Georgian crescents, softening the impact on critical views to and from the enclosing hills."

As well as the stadium itself, Apollodorus Architecture's counter-proposal – which it sees as both a theoretical exercise and a "provocation" – features a new leisure centre divided into two blocks.

It also envisions a new terraced riverfront and a collection of bars and restaurants, which would be located in the arena and the leisure centre. The new stadium and the surrounding buildings would be made from stone.

"In the ideal world, we would minimise the use of concrete and rely on locally-sourced Bath stone," Wilson Jones said.

"Contrary to what some people think, there is actually still enough of it in the ground for decades if not centuries."

Wilson Jones, who is an architect and historian teaching 18th to 20th-century architectural history and theory, said that Apollodorus Architecture is not dogmatic about the classical language and "can appreciate good contemporary buildings in the modernist idiom".

He argues, however, that Bath is a "slightly special case".

"The city as we know it was built in a relatively short period of time, out of a uniform building material, following a particular strand of classicism," Wilson Jones.

"It has survived more or less intact despite various post-war attempts to bring it up-to-date with the so-called 'Zeitgeist' – a very illusory and largely propagandistic concept," he added.

"It is therefore in the spirit of continuity and respect for Bath's enduring built heritage that we have chosen to work with the classical language – while being quite aware that it would stir up debate!"

The public response to the proposal has been "overwhelmingly positive," Wilson Jones said. However, he conceded a "very small number of architects" had reacted less favourably.

"What will be interesting is to see how younger architectural professionals, and students, will react, for nowadays they tend to be much more open-minded than those over 35 or so – those who were taught, persuaded, and sometimes inculcated with the seductive mantras of the hard-line modernists who after world war two ran anyone sensitive to the lessons of history out of town," Wilson Jones said.

"In a world that is rightfully becoming more broad-minded and tolerant of differences, the modernists' puritanism when it comes to architecture often feels hypocritical and bigoted," he added.

"However, to help those for whom the classical detailing may be an intellectual obstacle, our website also features a 'stripped-down' version of the scheme."

Also in the UK, Dezeen recently featured a neoclassical country house designed by Robert Adam, which will be "UK's largest new home for over a hundred years".

In an opinion reflecting on the continued debate between modernist and historical architecture Barnabas Calder wrote that "both sides in the style wars are equally wrong". He argued that the squabble was an unhelpful distraction in the face of the climate emergency.

While architecture critic Robert Bevan argued that King Charles III's love for traditional architecture meant he is "entangled in the far-right's weaponisation of architecture."

The images are courtesy of Apollodorus Architecture.

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Architecture studio HOK has unveiled the planned renovation of the National Football League stadium in Jacksonville, USA, which would cover the existing building with a fritted dome.

The studio will expand the current program of the stadium by wrapping it in sinuous, reflective cladding and covering it in a see-through "membrane". The team has referred to the design as the "Stadium of the Future".

The majority of the renovations will be focused on expanding the concourse surrounding the seating bowl, which will have four times the width that it currently has. The concourse will also be lifted and encircle the whole stadium.

The band will wrap around the exterior of the stadium, widening at points to create a large, bulbous facade and thinning to a strip at the entrances to expose the expanded concourse, which will be lined with a number of "interactive" elements and restaurants.

This mirrored cladding will frame the new roof of the stadium, which the team referred to as a "fritted roof membrane". This domed roof will protect the field during the rainy months in Florida and allow for ambient natural light.

Seating will be expanded to accommodate a base of 62,000 fans, with the ability to expand to more than 71,500 for special events.

The brief for the design mentions a series of sustainable attributes to the building, including temperature management through the openings at the entrances and a shade canopy that will shelter the stadium bowl.

Also included in the designs is a "subtropical" park that will surround the stadium and frame the walkways around the stadium.

"This transformation transcends the stadium's boundaries," said HOK design principal Peter Broeder.

"The design creates an iconic, accessible community nexus that ties together the surrounding neighborhoods and riverfront," he continued.

"The venue will celebrate Jacksonville's natural landscape and climate, offering a park-like ambiance enriched by the latest amenities, engaging social spaces and state of the art technology."

Currently called TIAA Bank Field, the stadium is owned by the city of Jacksonville.

Discussions between the team's ownership and the city have been ongoing since 2016, and after years of deliberation, they decided that a renovation would be more effective than ground-up construction.

Earlier this year, they selected HOK to present proposals for the new design.

Founded in St Louis, Missouri in 1955, HOK is one of the largest architecture studios in the world. Its sports and entertainment arm has designed other NFL stadiums including Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which features a retractable roof that "opens and closes like a camera aperture".

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Earthen walls blend with a desert landscape at the Cabo Sports Complex, which was designed by Mexican firm Taller Héctor Barroso to host the region's annual tennis tournament.

Located in Los Cabos – a city in the state of Baja California Sur – the complex sits on a cacti-dotted site near the beach. Mexico City's Taller Héctor Barroso designed the complex to make the most of its "beautiful and outstanding" setting.

The 5,000-square-metre complex is the new venue for the Mexican Open Los Cabos, a professional tennis tournament that takes place each summer. At other times, the site is used as a private sports club.

"Given the combination of uses, the architecture resulted in large open spaces that allow users to develop various outdoor activities and enjoy the wonderful views the site offers," the studio said.

The project has been divided into phases, with the first phase now complete. It consists of a sunken stadium called The Crater, three tennis courts, a clubhouse and locker room, administrative space and a central courtyard.

It also features space for a metal-framed, 3,500-seat stadium that can be erected during the Open and then disassembled when not in use.

The site's buildings are rectilinear and have windows and other openings that were carefully placed based on the views and sun exposure.

Walls are made of rammed earth – a material that ties into the colours and textures in the surrounding terrain. The load-bearing walls have an interior steel grid that helps support the structure, the architecture studio said.

Wooden elements, including beams and canopies, are made of weather-treated pine.

The venue's spatial organization was guided by a requirement that tennis courts must be aligned north to south, in order to minimise sun glare for players. The layout was also informed by the position of the ocean.

"The design is based on two imperceptible axes perpendicular to one another, resulting from drawing a straight line between the site and its view of the sea," the team said.

The next phase of construction calls for two additional tennis courts, soccer and football fields, and a food court.

Other projects by Taller Héctor Barroso include a holiday dwelling in central Mexico made of earthen blocks, pine and concrete; and a caramel-coloured apartment complex in Mexico City that is composed of linked, multi-storey volumes.

The photography is by César Béjar.

Project credits:

Architect: Taller Héctor Barroso
Team: Alan Rojas, Alice Moreno, Camila Ulloa, Kevin Sandoval, Paloma Sánchez, Paulina Robledo, Salvador Saracho

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The Peter Eisenman and Populous-designed State Farm Stadium, which is set to host Super Bowl 57, had the USA's first retractable field and presented an innovative change from previous stadiums, say its designers.

The 65,000-seat venue, which was previously called University of Phoenix Stadium and opened in 2006, was designed by Eisenman and Populous and constructed by Hunt Construction Group.

"I think it's really important to have good architecture and to have architecture be part of the NFL," Eisenman told Dezeen.

"And I know a lot of people will watch the game and say wow, look at that stadium. When I go there, it's really exciting for me, because it's one of the designs that I really was interested in."

Eisenman explained that the design of the stadium was originally supposed to be decided via a competition.

However, after impressing the ownership with his knowledge of the game by listing the names of the Cardinal's offensive players during the 1949 season, Eisenman's studio was given the project.

The original design approach was to get away from the classical bowl-style stadiums that were symmetrical and "like the Colosseum".

The team approached a number of cities in Arizona to host the stadium and finally landed on Glendale, a suburb northeast of Phoenix.

"None of the big towns would take it," said Eisenman.

"So Glendale, which had nothing at the time, said 'we'll step up and finance to project' and it was really exciting. We suddenly had a client that a town that would allow us to do the kind of stadium that we wanted."

"They wanted a stadium that was 24/7"

The final design saw the first stadium in the US to feature a retractable field, which allows natural grass to be grown outside and then slide into the stadium on a series of treads.

Weighing 8.9 million lbs (4.03 million kgs) the retractable field comprises a steel and concrete tray that holds the turf. Thirteen 1,146-foot-long (349 metres) beams are embedded in the foundation of the stadium.

The field allows the stadium to have natural turf, which cannot be grown inside the walls of the stadium – and is complete with a built-in irrigation and drainage system.

It also allows events like concerts and conventions to be held on the concrete that undergirds the retractable-field system.

"They wanted to have a stadium that was 24/7 – that operated not only on Sunday but on Monday morning," said Eisenman.

"And so we made a whole stadium on the principle that you could finish playing at six o'clock on Sunday and open for business at 8am on Monday morning."

Besides the retractable field, something that has only been repeated in the US by Manica Architecture for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, State Farm Stadium also has a retractable roof and a seating area that can expand to 72,800 seats for large events.

The roof is made out of Birdair fabric and takes about 12 minutes to completely open or close and can remain in that position for four days.

"State Farm Stadium set a standard for the new age of sports design: design that combines fan experience, incredible functionality, thoughtful placemaking and technological innovation for the next great gathering place," said Populous principal Brady Spencer, a member of the original design team.

"This stadium is important to us as it marks an early instance of how we think and design at Populous."

"Now, to see it evolve and continue to host global events is personally gratifying, and affirming to our approach as a firm."

The structure itself is characterised by a barrel-like envelope covered in insulated steel, punctuated by horizontal strips of glazing.

It was Eisenman's first completed stadium, and the architect has said that the design takes inspiration from desert themes, such as the coil of a snake and the barrel of a cactus.

Primarily concrete and rebar, the structure is characterised by four massive columns that support two Brunel trusses.

Six storeys of occupiable space characterise the concourse, which wraps around the field and sits under the movable dome.

In 2018, the NFL announced a series of renovations to the structure to prepare for 2023's Super Bowl.

Clocking in at $100 million, these renovations included updates to the club areas of the stadium as well as an expansion of parking facilities and a pedestrian tunnel and bridge.

Many of the club renovations were carried out with "female fans in mind" according to local news source AZcentral, due to the changing fanbase of the NFL.

While the stadium remains Eisenman's only, Populous has gone on to design a number of stadiums, including Geodis Park in Nashville, the largest purpose-built soccer stadium in the United States.

Construction is also underway on the studio's massive spherical structure in the middle of London to be used for concerts and E-sports.

The photography is by David Sundberg/Esto.

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Italy's undersecretary for culture Vittorio Sgarbi has stated that Milan's iconic San Siro stadium, which was set to be replaced by a Populous-designed building, will not be demolished.

The minister promised that the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza stadium, widely known as San Siro, "will not be torn down," reported online newspaper Milano Today.

At the end of December, Sgarbi said that his powers as undersecretary cover the San Siro stadium as a "heritage of contemporary architecture" and that he will submit an "issue of historical restraint" this month.

This would see the building protected against demolition based on it being a historical landmark. The year the demolition is set to begin, 2024, marks 70 years since a major post-war renovation was carried out at the stadium.

"I am convinced that the stadium should not be demolished, not so much for its architectural value as for the importance as a symbol and for the protection of memory," Sgarbi told Italian newspaper Il Giorno.

"For this reason, as far as I am concerned, I will take all the necessary steps to prevent it from being torn down."

Decision lies with mayor of Milan, says culture minister

However, Italy's minister of culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, has stated that there are no restrictions on the stadium and that decisions about San Siro's future rest with Milan's mayor, reported Italian financial news website Calcio Finanza.

"The state of the art is this: at the moment, there is no constraint and it will have to be the mayor of Milan who decides what he wants to do, possibly also on the basis of 'sentimental' evaluations, given the reference to the iconic value as perceived by the football sentiment with which the superintendency itself invited alternative solutions to demolition," Sangiuliano said this month.

The stadium, which was designed by architect Ulisse Stacchini and built in 1925, was extended between 1948 and 1955.

In 1990, ahead of the World Cup in Italy, it was extensively remodelled by Milan studio Ragazzi and Partners.

Populous stadium part of wider redevelopment of site

Football teams Inter Milan and AC Milan, which share the stadium, announced in December 2021 that it would be demolished and replaced by a stadium designed by architecture studio Populous.

The new stadium would be part of a redevelopment of the site and would be built next to San Siro, which would then be torn down.

Called the Cathedral, the Populous stadium design was informed by two of Milan's best-known buildings, the Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade. The area around the stadium would become pedestrian-only, with existing parking moved underground.

The San Siro replacement has previously been criticised by architects, critics and heritage bodies. In 2020, architect Angelo Renna suggested the stadium could be turned into a tree-covered coronavirus memorial.

The main image is by Prelvini via Wikimedia Commons.

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This week on Dezeen, we looked ahead to the FIFA World Cup 2026, rounding up the 16 stadiums across the USA, Mexico and Canada that are set to host the games.

Unlike the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, for which seven out of the eight stadiums were constructed for the event, the 2026 tournament will be held exclusively in venues that are already built.

These include 11 stadiums in the USA, along with two in Canada and three in Mexico.

Saudi Arabia's Neom development hit the headlines when Peter Frankental, Amnesty International's economic affairs programme director, said architecture studios working on the project should "think twice" about their involvement.

Frankental told Dezeen that studios should "be well aware of what they're entering into and the human rights violations that they will be linked to" through working on Neom.

The preservation of UK architecture was in the spotlight as London studio Mikhail Riches shared its redevelopment of the brutalist Park Hill estate in Sheffield, and the architectural charity Twentieth Century Society launched a campaign to give protected status to Peckham Library in London.

If the application is successful, the Will Alsop-designed library would become the first building opened in the 21st century to be listed.

Dezeen's review of 2022 continued with a roundup of the year's 10 home interiors, which included a brutalist apartment and a timber cabin with a minimalist colour palette.

We also looked back on the year's top 10 restaurant and bar interiors and books dedicated to architecture and design.

Design news this week included Vollebak and Living Ink's design of a T-shirt dyed black with algae, which the team claimed was major breakthrough for sustainable fashion.

BVN and UTS launched a 3D-printed "breathing" system that was designed as a less carbon-intensive alternative to air conditioning.

In the US, Chicago-based architect Carol Ross Barney was awarded the 2023 Gold Medal by the American Institute of Architecture in honour of her work as both a designer and an educator.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro revealed it had been selected to renovate the Kalita Humphreys Theater in Dallas by Frank Lloyd Wright, while KPMB Architects completed a "vertical campus" at Boston University.

Popular projects this week included the Butterfly House renovation by Will Gamble Architects, redbrick townhouses by Förstberg Ling and the Black Forest holiday cabin by AMUNT.

Our latest lookbook collected ten contemporary interiors with innovative stone furniture.

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With the World Cup in Qatar drawing to a close, we look ahead to the 16 stadiums that will host games at the 2026 World Cup in USA, Mexico and Canada.

Unlike the Qatar World Cup, where seven out of the eight stadiums were constructed specially for the tournament, all 16 of the 2026 World Cup stadiums are already built.

Eleven stadiums across the USA will host matches, all of which are the current homes of NFL American football teams. Some of these will need upgrades or the addition of grass playing fields to host games.

In addition, two stadiums in Canada and three in Mexico will host, including the Estadio Azteca, which hosted the finals of both the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.

Here are all the 2026 World Cup stadiums:

SoFi Stadium, LA, by HKS (2020)

Home of American football teams the LA Chargers and LA Rams, this 70,000-capacity venue is reportedly the most expensive stadium ever built.

Completed in 2020 at a cost of $5.5 billion, the SoFi Stadium can be expanded to seat 100,000 for major events like the Superbowl, making it one of the largest stadiums set to host games at the World Cup.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA, by HOK (2017)

One of several stadiums hosting games at the tournament that was designed by stadium specialist HOK, the 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium is home to American football team the Atlanta Falcons.

Opened in 2017, the angular stadium is topped with a unique roof that "opens and closes like a camera aperture".

Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico, by Populous and VFO (2015)

Nicknamed El Gigante de Acero – or the Steel Giant – for its distinctive appearance, the 53,500-seat Estadio BBVA was designed by Populous and VFO.

One of three stadiums in Mexico set to host games during the World Cup, the venue's form was informed by brewing pots used locally for making beer.

Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, USA by HNTB (2014)

Located in Santa Clara, California, Levi's Stadium has been home to the NFL team the San Francisco 49ers since it opened in 2014.

Two-thirds of the 68,500 seats are located in a large lower bowl, and the stadium can be expanded to accommodate 75,000 for events like the Super Bowl, which it hosted in 2016.

MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA, by HOK (2010)

Located near New York City in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium is home to two NFL teams – the New York Giants and the New York Jets.

The stadium was designed by HOK in collaboration with designers Bruce Mau and Rockwell Group so that it could be transformed from predominantly blue to green to embody the identities of both franchises.

The structure includes rusticated stone to align with the Giants' traditional values, combined with metal and glass for a modern look desired by the Jets.

Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico, by Jean Marie Massaud & Daniel Pouzet and Populous (2010)

Designed by Jean Marie Massaud and Daniel Pouzet and engineered by VFO, the 48,000-seat Estadio Akron is home to the Club Deportivo Guadalajara soccer team.

The stadium has a distinctive form, with a grass-covered lower structure that was topped with a circular raised canopy to create a shape designed to evoke a volcano.

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, USA, by HKS (2009)

Designed by stadium specialist HKS, the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Texas is the home to the Dallas Cowboys NFL team. The structure is topped with a retractable roof supported on a pair of 91-metre-tall arches.

Its capacity can be expanded to over 100,000 for major events and earlier this year rumours emerged that it has been chosen to host the 2026 World Cup final.

BMO Field, Toronto, Canada, by Brisbin Brooks Beynon Architects (2007), expansion by Gensler (2015)

One of two stadiums in Canada hosting games during the World Cup, BMO Field was designed specifically for soccer and is the home to the Toronto FC MLS team, as well as the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Originally opened in 2007, the stadium was expanded to have a capacity of 27,000 in 2015. The seating can be expanded to 40,000 – FIFA's minimum capacity to host World Cup games – with the addition of a temporary south stand.

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA, by NBBJ (2003)

Home of NFL team the Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field has a distinctive form with the long east and west stands designed to evoke wings in reference to the team's name.

The 69,000-seat stadium is open at three of its corners and has a raised "Eagle's nest" that has views of downtown Philadelphia.

NRG Stadium, Houston, USA, by Populous (2002)

One of two venues in Texas set to host games at the World Cup, NRG Stadium has been the home of NFL team the Houston Texans since it opened in 2002.

Created by Populous, the 80,000-seat enclosed stadium was designed to have an intimate atmosphere similar to a large indoor arena. When it opened in 2002 it was the first NFL stadium to have a retractable roof.

Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA, by Populous (2002)

Built on a series of naturally-occurring granite outcroppings, Gillette Stadium is described by Populous as "a unique split-level stadium".

The 68,000-seat venue in Foxborough, Massachusetts, is home to the New England Patriots NFL team and the New England Revolution Major League Soccer team.

Lumen Field, Seattle, USA, by Ellerbe Becket and LMN Architects (2002)

Designed by architecture studio Ellerbe Becket and LMN Architects for both American football and soccer, Lumen Field is home to the Seattle Seahawks NFL team and the Seattle Sounders FC soccer team.

Opened in 2002, the compact 67-000 seat stadium is flanked by two large arches supporting canopies over the seating stands that are stacked and cantilevered due to the site's limited space.

BC Place, Vancouver, Canada, by Studio Phillips Barratt (1983), renovation by Stantec (2011)

Opened in 1983, BC Place was originally designed by Studio Phillips Barratt and underwent a significant revamp by Stantec ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics when it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

The renovation added a cable-supported, retractable roof to the 58,000-seat stadium, which is home to MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Canadian Football League team BC Lions.

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA, by HOK (1987)

Originally opened in 1987, the Hard Rock Stadium is the home of NFL team Miami Dolphins.

The building was extensively renovated by architecture studio HOK between 2015 and 2017, when a large and distinctive rectangular canopy was hung above the stands from four white masts at the stadium's corners.

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA, by Kivett & Myers (1972), renovated by Populous (2010)

One of the oldest stadiums set to host games at the 2026 World Cup, Arrowhead Stadium opened in 1972 and has been the home of NFL team Kansas City Chiefs since.

The 76,000-seat venue holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's loudest stadium. It was extensively renovated by stadium specialist Populous in 2010.

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico, by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca (1966)

Designed by architects Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca, the Estadio Azteca in Mexcio City will become the first stadium to host games at three World Cups.

Opened in 1966, the 87,000-seat stadium previously hosted games, including the final, at both the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.

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Following the completion of the 2022 World Cup Qatar stadiums, we look at the next generation of sports venues being designed by studios including David Chipperfield Architects, OMA and BIG.

Stadiums make up some of the world's largest and most impressive buildings. In Qatar, eight were recently built or heavily renovated to host this year's World Cup by architecture studios including Foster + Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects.

Major stadiums are currently being developed by leading architecture studios for countries including the USA, China and Italy to host everything from football and American football to baseball and the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Read on for eight architecture studio-designed stadiums:

Cathedral, Milan, Italy, by Populous

UK studio Populous designed the 60,000-seat Cathedral stadium to replace Milan's iconic San Siro, which has been home to football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan since 1926.

According to the studio, the new stadium's form references two of the city's best-known buildings – the Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade.

Read more about Cathedral ›

Eco Park, Gloucestershire, UK, by Zaha Hadid Architects

Set to be built in Gloucestershire for football club Forest Green Rovers, the 5,000-seat venue will be the world's first timber stadium.

Named Eco Park, it is being designed by Zaha Hadid Architects with the aim of being the world's greenest football stadium. It will be built entirely from wood and powered by sustainable energy sources.

Read more about Eco Park ›

Hangzhou International Sports Centre, Hangzhou, China, by Zaha Hadid Architects

Another stadium being designed by Zaha Hadid Architects will form part of the Hangzhou International Sports Centre, a trio of venues in China intended to evoke tea farms.

The venues will include a 60,000-seat football stadium, a 19,000-seat indoor arena and an aquatics centre, along with training pitches and a riverside walk.

Read more about Hangzhou International Sports Centre ›

Santa Giulia arena, Milan, Italy, by David Chipperfield Architects

Designed by the Berlin studio of David Chipperfield Architects and engineering firm Arup, the Santa Giulia arena will host ice hockey events during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The 12,000-seat arena has an elliptical form that is informed by traditional amphitheatres.

Read more about Santa Giulia arena ›

Xi'an International Football Centre, Xi'an, China, by Zaha Hadid Architects

Another Chinese stadium designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Xi'an International Football Centre, will contain 60,000 seats and become a venue for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

The stadium's roof will be supported by giant columns, while the facades will incorporate plant-filled terraces.

Read more about Xi'an International Football Centre ›

Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by OMA

Dutch architecture studio OMA and landscape architect LOLA are designing the 63,000-seat Feyenoord Stadium, which will be the largest in the Netherlands when it completes.

The venue will be built alongside the Nieuwe Maas river as part of OMA's masterplan for the redevelopment of Rotterdam Zuid.

Read more about Feyenoord Stadium ›

Oakland A's stadium, Oakland, USA, by BIG

Danish architecture studio BIG has designed a greenery-topped stadium for the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team – also known as the Oakland A's – at Oakland's harbourside Howard Terminal.

"Our design for the A's new home at the heart of Oakland's revitalised waterfront seeks to return the game to its roots as the natural meeting place for the local community," said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

The studio's plans for the development include an expansive cable-car system with two transit hubs to be built in Oakland.

Read more about Oakland A's stadium ›

Buffalo Bills stadium, Buffalo, USA, by Populous

Designed for American football team Buffalo Bills, the stadium was designed to pay homage to the history, heritage and architecture of Buffalo. It is set to complete in 2026.

"Our approach to the design takes its cues from historic architecture in Buffalo, such as 'The Rockpile', 'The Aud', and Kleinhans Music Hall," said Populous senior principal Jonathan Mallie.

"[It] merges their projection of strength with modern materials and a building form that is set to create an intimate and intimidating football-first environment."

Read more about Buffalo Bills stadium ›

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This week on Dezeen, we focused on the architecture and design of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar along with the human rights and sustainability controversies that are overshadowing it.

We rounded up the eight stadiums that will be hosting the tournament and took a closer look at the kits of all participating 32 countries, as well as ten cultural buildings completed in the country ahead of the World Cup.

The World Cup has received heavy criticism due to the human rights issues associated with the conditions of the migrant workers that built its stadiums, with Amnesty International's Peter Frankental arguing that architects working on it risk assisting in sportswashing.

We also spoke to a number of sustainability experts who said that the World Cup's sustainability claims are "built on sand".

This week we also announced the winners of Dezeen Awards 2022 in the architecture, interiors, design, media and sustainability categories.

The winners include Richard Rogers' final project (pictured), design duo Adam and Arthur's Mother and Child cabinet, which won furniture design of the year in the design category and architecture studio Woods + Dangaran's Twentieth, which took home house interior of the year in the interior category.

Among the media winners were a photo project that captures brutalist architecture in Hong Kong, while K-Briq was one of the winners in the sustainability category.

In design news, German car manufacturer Audi unveiled its updated logo, a flat, simplified version of its distinctive four-ring design. The rings have been stripped of their chrome colour and are no longer raised.

Another German automotive manufacturer, Volkswagen, introduced an unusual design this week – a drivable office chair that can travel up to 20 kilometres per hour and features a seatbelt and hi-fi music system.

Danish architecture studio BIG unveiled Vancouver House, a 155-meter-high twisted skyscraper in Canada, this week. BIG founder Bjarke Ingels likened the building, which sits on a wedge-shaped site, to the Flatiron building in New York.

In other architecture news, US studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro's David Rubenstein Forum in Chicago was named this year's Best Tall Building Worldwide by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

We took a look at how architecture could be impacted by AI text-to-image software such as Midjourney and DALL-E, which experts say has the potential to change the way that architects approach the creation and concept stages of designing buildings and products.

But architects don't need to worry about being usurped by AI software yet, says design writer Will Wiles in this week's opinion piece, arguing that "for the time being, AI architecture is simply another form of architectural vaporware".

Popular projects this week included a retreat in Portugal designed in a "rustic minimalist" style, the interiors of the world's skinniest supertall skyscraper, and a "forever home" in Melbourne.

This week's lookbooks showcased interiors informed by the principles of the Bauhaus and homes in converted warehouses.

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The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features the renovation of Qatar's Khalifa International Stadium for the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now!

Qatar revamped the Khalifa International Stadium, originally opened in 1976, ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup tournament. It is one of the eight venues that will host the games.

To meet FIFA's hosting standards of 40,000 seats an additional 12,000 seats were added to the stadium. Due to Qatar's hot climate, a canopy was added to the exterior of the stadium and a new cooling system was installed. Other changes include modern digital lighting which will animate the venue at night during the tournament.

Other stories in the latest newsletter include Michael Dillion's low-cost garden studio in Kent, France's announcement of a mandate to cover large car parks with solar panels and the announcement of this year's Dezeen Awards architecture winners.

Dezeen Agenda

Dezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Tuesday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to Dezeen Debate, which is sent every Thursday and contains a curated selection of highlights from the week, as well as Dezeen Daily, our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours on Dezeen.

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With the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar set to kick off on Sunday, Dezeen rounds up the eight stadiums hosting the tournament including a hat-shaped building and a "diamond in the desert".

All located in and around the Qatari capital city of Doha, the eight stadiums will be the backdrop to the international football tournament that runs from 20 November to 18 December.

Among them is Qatar's revamped national stadium, as well as a series of new structures by the likes of British studios Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster + Partners.

Since Qatar won the right to host the 22nd FIFA World Cup in 2010, the construction of these stadiums has been highly controversial.

According to the Guardian, more than 6,500 migrant workers have died in the tiny Gulf state over the past decade. Amnesty International said many of these deaths remain uninvestigated.

Event organisers have also come under fire over Qatar's claim that the tournament will be the "first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in history", which has been labelled as "far-fetched".

Read on for details of all eight 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar stadiums:

Lusail Stadium by Foster + Partners

Islamic bowls and local Qatari architecture informed the design of the largest 2022 FIFA World Cup venue, which its architect Foster + Partners has likened to a "golden vessel".

The Lusail Stadium contains 80,000 seats that are arranged over two tiers and concealed by a curved exterior of golden, triangular panels mounted on a steel frame.

Structural engineer Arup and sports architecture specialist Populous also worked on the design for the venue, which will host its first match on 22 November and the final on 18 December.

Find out more about Lusail Stadium ›

Stadium 974 by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects

Stadium 974 is named after Qatar's international dialling code, as well as the number of shipping containers used to build its staircases, kiosks, bathrooms and parts of its exterior.

Designed by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects, the colourful building pays homage to Qatar's maritime history as well as the industrial heritage of its site near Doha's port.

The containers, many of which were originally used to transport materials to the site, feature alongside a modular steel structure that was developed to be demounted and repurposed. The 40,000-seat venue will host its first match on 30 November.

Find out more about Stadium 974 ›

Al Janoub Stadium by AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects

To the south of central Doha in Al Wakrah is the Al Janoub Stadium, a building featuring the signature sweeping forms of its co-architect Zaha Hadid Architects.

The 40,000-seat venue, which will host its first match on 22 November, was created in collaboration with AECOM and features a fully retractable roof to help keep players and fans cool.

Its distinctive form is intended to resemble the sail of a dhow – a traditional fishing boat seen in the city's harbour – but critics have previously compared it to female genitalia.

Following the tournament, the stadium will become the home of the local Al Wakrah Sports Club football team.

Find out more about Al Janoub Stadium ›

Khalifa International Stadium by Dar Al-Handasah

The only existing building repurposed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is the national stadium of Qatar, located 10 kilometres from Doha's city centre.

Named the Khalifa International Stadium, it was recently overhauled by its original architect Dar Al-Handasah to increase its capacity to 40,000, bringing it up to FIFA standards.

Before the tournament, the stadium was host to events including the Arabian Gulf Cup and the Asian Games. Its first World Cup event will be on 21 November.

Other recent alterations to the building since it was inaugurated in 1976 include the addition of a canopy that the arches over its roof, as well as contemporary digital lighting.

Find out more about Khalifa International Stadium ›

Al Bayt Stadium by Dar Al-Handasah

The multidisciplinary studio Dar Al-Handasah also created the tent-like stadium in Al Khor, which will host the football tournament's opening game on 20 November.

Named the Al Bayt Stadium, its design references traditional bayt al sha'ar tents that were used by nomadic people across the region. Inside, it contains 60,000 seats over four stands.

Its distinctive peaked form is achieved with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) woven fibreglass membrane and incorporates a retractable roof that complements the stadium's cooling technologies.

After the World Cup, its top tier of seating will be removed and used to help build sporting infrastructure in other countries, before a luxury hotel is built in its place.

Find out more about Al Bayt Stadium ›

Al Thumama Stadium by Ibrahim M Jaidah

A traditional gahfiya cap worn by men throughout the Middle East was the reference for the circular Al Thumama Stadium by Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah.

Located to the south of Doha, the stadium has a circular form containing a concrete bowl with 40,000 seats for spectators and will host its first match on 21 November.

According to the architect, its unique design has a functional purpose too, protecting spectators from the sun "in a similar way to how the gahfiya is used to cover one's head from the heat". This will work in tandem with a cooling system powered by solar energy.

A boutique hotel is also planned to be built in its upper tier following the event, with rooms facing onto the pitch.

Find out more about Al Thumama Stadium ›

Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium by Pattern Design and Ramboll

UK architecture studio Pattern Design and engineering firm Ramboll designed this decorative stadium on the edge of Doha to serve as a "marker of your exit and return to or from the desert".

Named Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, it is distinguished by its ornate metal exterior that references traditional Qatari facades called Naqsh, which is juxtaposed by solid concession stands around the edges that nod to the neighbouring sand dunes.

Like all the venues used for the tournament, the open-air pitch will be artificially cooled to ensure the comfort of players and its 40,000 visitors. The first game here takes place on 21 November.

Find out more about Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium ›

Education City Stadium by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects and Pattern Design

Dubbed a "diamond in the desert", the Education City Stadium is the eighth and final venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. Its first match is on 22 November.

The stadium's nickname refers to its facade, which is composed of a diamond-like pattern that takes its form from traditional Arabic architecture. It is designed to deflect strong sunlight and can be illuminated at night.

After the games, there are plans for the venue to be converted into a sports hub for the Education City district where it is located, with its top tier of seating removed to make room for university classrooms and event spaces.

Find out more about Education City Stadium ›

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The Khalifa International Stadium in Doha has been renovated for use as one of eight venues that will host the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar.

Inaugurated in 1976, the country's national stadium has been revamped by its original architect Dar Al-Handasah so that it could be used for the tournament, which begins later this month.

The extensive renovation of Khalifa International Stadium was completed in 2017 and involved the addition of 12,000 seats, bringing its capacity up to 40,000 to meet FIFA's hosting standards.

It was the first stadium to be ready for the FIFA 2022 World Cup and will host matches up to and including the third-place play-off.

Alterations to the exterior of the stadium include the addition of a canopy, which stretches out between the two arches over its roof – the building's most identifiable feature.

This has been introduced to help keep fans and players cool in the stands and on the pitch during the tournament, in tandem with the stadium's new and modernised cooling system.

Other exterior changes to the building include the update to its facade, which has been modernised with contemporary digital lighting to animate it at night during the tournament.

Inside, major changes to the stadium include the addition of 12,000 seats in its upper tiers. A number of hospitality facilities have also been introduced.

Since opening in Doha 46 years ago, the Khalifa International Stadium has hosted a number of major events including the Arabian Gulf Cup, the Asian Games and the IAAF World Athletics Championships.

It is located 10 kilometres from Doha's city centre and forms part of the Aspire Zone – an area created for the 2006 Asian Games that also includes a park, aquatics centre and multipurpose sports hall.

Other stadiums that have been completed for the World Cup include the Lusail Stadium by Foster + Partners and the Al Janoub Stadium by AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects.

The Khalifa International Stadium architect Dar Al-Handasah has also created the Al Bayt Stadium, which is informed by bayt al sha'ar – tents used by nomadic people in Qatar.

Qatar has been widely criticised for its creation of these stadiums, due to the poor working conditions experienced by the migrants who have built them.

In 2021, the Guardian reported that 6,500 migrant workers had died in the Qatar since it won the right to host the event. According to Amnesty International, thousands of these deaths still remain uninvestigated.

Denmark recently revealed its kits for the World Cup, which are designed as a "protest against Qatar and its human rights record".

The tournament has also come under fire over claims made by its organisers that it will be the "first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup in history".

A report released by the non-profit advocacy group Carbon Market Watch described these claims as "far-fetched" after finding that the emissions from the new venues are up to eight times higher than those outlined in the event's own carbon calculations.

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Architecture studio Populous and local studio Hastings have completed Geodis Park in Nashville for Nashville SC, which the studios say is the largest stadium dedicated to soccer ever built in USA.

The open-air, 30,000-seat venue is located at the Nashville Fairgrounds with Populous designing the pitch and "fan experience" and Nashville-based Hastings responsible for the core and shell of the building.

According to the studios, Geodis Park, which is now home to Nashville SC, is the "largest purpose-built" stadium for soccer to be completed in the United States.

It is made up of a rectangular structure made with exposed steel beams that reference the "creative and industrial history of Music City," according to the studios.

Populous and Hasting said that the juxtaposition between the steel beams of the superstructure and the bricks of the base mirrors the mix of industrial and residential buildings that characterise Nashville.

"The Nashville identity is seamlessly and authentically woven into the design and the fabric of this stadium through our collaboration with Hastings, which pairs innovation and high design to energize and serve Nashville SC, its fans and the city,” said Populous senior principal Bruce Miller. 

A large canopy shelters the seating in the open-air stadium and the concourse that surrounds the stadium has a ceiling clad in bamboo.

"The modern design is complemented by warm materials and factory-inspired wayfinding that lend a comfortable 'lived-in' sensibility to the park and the individual spaces," said Populous and Hastings. 

"Bespoke" and tone-down graphics have been implemented throughout the site, including lettering that spells out the lyrics of the Nashville SC fight song on the bamboo ceilings.

Large banners can be hung from the gridded steel structure that makes up the exterior.

Inside the bowl, the studios included a standing supporter's section that was steeply angled in order to give fans closer views to the pitch – this section is supported by a separate entrance for the most "rowdy" fans. 

A series of boxed seating have different themes from "music-centric" to a luxury club experience.

A large exterior plaza was included in the design with a video board for performances or pre-game entertainment.

According to the studios, specific attention was given to the plaza to revitalize the Fairgrounds and to connect Nashville's downtown with the adjacent universities and the "strong international community to the southeast". 

"The stadium acts as a catalyst for development and community interaction, upholding and revitalizing the Fairgrounds legacy of community gathering," they said.

Because of the prominent music scene in Nashville, considerations were also made to have the stadium double as a concert arena, when necessary.

Populous focuses primarily on stadium design and was responsible for the Ice Ribbon arena at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The studio also recently announced plans for an "intimate yet intimating" design for the NFL team the Buffalo Bills' stadium in New York.

Internationally, designs for the upcoming 2022 World Cup stadiums have reached completion. These include UK architecture studio Foster + Partner's design for the finals in Qatar.

The photography is by Tom Harris. 

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Architecture studio Populous has designed a stadium for the American football team Buffalo Bills in New York state, which aims to reimagine historic architecture with modern materials.

Due to open in autumn 2026, the venue will be developed by Populous to pay homage to the history, heritage and architecture of the Bills' home city, Buffalo.

"The stadium will create a new place to foster the iconic culture of the Bills fan base, while creating an exciting vision for the future of the franchise and the community," explained Populous senior principal Scott Radecic.

"As we continue to work with the Bills, we look forward to creating an industry-changing stadium that reflects Buffalo's strong community and history."

Stadium to will have stacked seating

The Buffalo Bills stadium is set to be built adjacent to Highmark Stadium – the team's current venue – in the town of Orchard Park in southeast Buffalo.

Its current design was revealed in new visuals by the studio and centres around a stacked seating bowl, which is designed to "enhance crowd noise" while being intimate and sheltered.

Around its edges will be large areas carved out for Buffalo Bills fans, featuring a mix of local food and drink vendors.

According to Populous, the stadium's design is intended to have a contemporary aesthetic and "football-first environment", while reimagining historic and iconic architecture in Buffalo with modern materials.

The studio said its reference points include the Rockpile, the city's former outdoor soccer stadium, as well as Kleinhans Music Hall and a multipurpose indoor arena known locally as The Aud.

Local music venues among references

"Our approach to the design takes its cues from historic architecture in Buffalo, such as 'The Rockpile', 'The Aud', and Kleinhans Music Hall," said senior principal Jonathan Mallie.

"[It] merges their projection of strength with modern materials and a building form that is set to create an intimate and intimidating football-first environment."

Founded in 1983 by Gyo Obata, George Kassabaum, George F Hellmuth, Populous is an architecture studio best known for its design of landmark sporting and music venues.

Alongside the new Buffalo Bills stadium, it is currently developing a solar-powered arena in Munich with a decorative exoskeleton, and a spherical music venue in London that will contain the capital's largest indoor venue.

It recently completed the Ice Ribbon, the only new building created for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which has a retractable pitch.

The visuals are courtesy of Populous.

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A 60,000-seat football stadium is among the features of the terraced Hangzhou International Sports Centre, which Zaha Hadid Architects is designing in the east of China.

Over 26.39 hectares, the giant sports venue in Hangzhou will comprise three buildings that also accommodate a 19,000-seat indoor arena, an aquatics centre and practice pitches.

Hangzhou International Sports Centre was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects for the city's Future Science and Technology Cultural District. Its expected completion date is not yet known.

It was commissioned by the cultural district's management committee to serve the city's growing population and will be open for use by both amateur and professional athletes.

"Accommodating Hangzhou's growing population, the International Sports Centre's design provides a variety of facilities for grassroots players to professional athletes," said Zaha Hadid Architects.

"In contrast to the single-use programming of most large stadiums that only welcome visitors on match days and act as an obstruction to the city's urban fabric when not in use, the many varied sporting, recreational and leisure facilities of Hangzhou International Sports Centre, in addition to its public plazas and riverfront park, ensure the centre will be a popular gathering place for its community throughout each day and evening."

Externally, the three venues will have rounded forms and will be unified by their "striated" edges and a terraced podium that winds between them.

These forms were designed by Zaha Hadid Architects as a nod to the terraced tea farms on the hills surrounding Hangzhou.

The venues are intended to be as compact as possible, ensuring almost half of the dedicated site is available for transformation into new public spaces.

Among these will be a new riverfront area, in addition to public parks and plazas with access to the city's metro network. The landscape design will also see wetlands introduced along the riverbank that will form part of the district's drainage network.

Hangzhou International Sports Centre's largest venue will be the football stadium, which will be positioned on the eastern side of the complex with views over the city.

It will measure 135,000 square metres and contain seats for 60,000 spectators. According to Zaha Hadid Architects, the shape of the stadium will "bring spectators as close as possible to the field of play".

The form of the seating will create undulations in the stadium's facade, which will be lined with louvres that solar shade food kiosks positioned behind them.

These louvres were also designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to contribute to the layered appearance of the complex while allowing passersby to see inside – challenging the usual "solid facades" of conventional sports stadiums.

"The stadium's louvred facade blurs the boundary between interior and exterior," said the studio.

"When viewed from a distance, the louvred facade becomes transparent, connecting the public spaces beneath the stadium's seating bowl with the city."

On the west and south sides of the complex will be the two smaller venues, housing the indoor arena and the aquatics centre.

At 74,000 square metres, the indoor arena will have a capacity of 19,000 and the flexibility to be adapted to host various different events, ranging from spectator sports to music concerts.

Meanwhile, the aquatics centre will measure 15,000 square metres and contain two 50-metre pools designed for everything from lessons for local school children to professional competitions. This venue will provide space for up to 800 spectators.

Woven between the venues, the 45,000-square-metre podium will complete the project with ancillary facilities as well as a courtyard and terraces.

Shared between the venues, these will include everything from locker rooms and training halls to shops, restaurants and offices with views over the terraces.

According to Zaha Hadid Architects, the project will make use of recycled and recyclable materials.

Each venue will utilise a hybrid ventilation system, as well as ground source heat pumps and photovoltaics to harvest solar power.

Elsewhere in China, Zaha Hadid Architects is designing the striped expansion of an exhibition centre in Beijing and a pair of supertall skyscrapers linked by planted terraces in Shenzhen.

The studio, which is the eponymous studio of the late architect Zaha Hadid, also recently completed the dune-like Beeah Headquarters in Sharjah.

The animation is by Atchain and the renders are by Proloog unless stated otherwise.

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Architecture studio MAD Architects has completed a sinuous concrete stadium embedded into the ground and covered in grass roofs in Quzhou, China.

Conceived as "a piece of land art", the 33,731-square-metre stadium will seat 30,000 people. Its interior, described by MAD Architects as "crater-like," has undulating seating that was designed to follow that of the surrounding landscape.

Seating in various green hues also references the surrounding hills and is designed to contrast the stadium's white canopy.

Located in Quzhou, a city 400 kilometres southwest of Shanghai that is surrounded by forests, Quzhou Stadium is at the centre of the Quzhou Sports Park, which is currently under construction and will span close to 700,000 square metres.

It will be "the largest earth-sheltered complex in the world," said MAD Architects, the studio led by architect Ma Yansong.

While it is partly sunk into the ground, Quzhou Stadium's shape was created in reference to a mountain ridge that can be seen from the site and also nods to more far-away places.

"Its landscape evokes those of planets imagined by visionary science fiction authors," the studio said.

The stadium has a sloping facade with nine entrances and is supported by 60 columns made from locally-produced concrete.

MAD designed the entrances to the building with double-curved surfaces that appear to "ripple like ocean waves", while the walls are made from textured wood-grained concrete sheets.

Above the stadium sits a long canopy made from self-supporting steel.

Its lower half is wrapped in a light-transmitting synthetic polymer PTFE membrane with micro-perforations that help to enhance acoustics and the top of it is made from a more solid and rain-proof PTFE membrane.

Quzhou Stadium's arena and seating are located above ground, but the majority of the building's facilities, including its parking garage, can be found inside the undulating hill from which it emerges.

MAD designed the building with large openings that let light into those underground spaces. The stadium has also been engineered to "absorb, store and infiltrate rainwater," which the studio says will both protect it from rain damage and reduce its energy consumption and temperature fluctuations.

Outside the stadium, signage was made from metal and stone and embedded into the ground to blend into the surroundings. MAD hopes its design of Quzhou Stadium will make it hard to tell where the landscape ends and the building starts.

"MAD Architects considers the stadium grounds as not only a dynamic park space adjacent to the city's urban center amenable to athletic and leisurely recreation, but also an opportunity for a spiritual connection between people and nature," the studio said.

"For Ma Yansong, the Quzhou stadium breaks away from the conventional sports architecture," the studio added. "It is conceived as a piece of land art that submerges itself into the nature and welcomes everyone to gather and share the sports spirit."

Quzhou Stadium is the first completed construction stage of the Quzhou Sports Park, which will be constructed in two stages and also include a 10,000-seat gymnasium, a science and technology museum, a 2,000-seat natatorium, hotels, a youth centre and retail programs.

Other recent projects by MAD Architects include the Lucas Museum, which is currently under construction in Los Angeles, and its first social housing project in China.

The photography is by CreatAR Images.

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UK studio Foster + Partners has revealed images of its golden Lusail Stadium in Qatar, which will host the final of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

The stadium, which will host 10 matches at this year's football World Cup including the final, was officially inaugurated on 9 September with a match between Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal SFC and the Egyptian Premier League winners Zamalek.

Designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with structural engineer Arup and sports architect Populous, the 80,000-seat stadium is located north of the Qatari capital Doha in Lusail. Wrapped in a golden facade, it was designed to be a striking addition to the emerging town.

"Our ambition was to create a striking yet simple form that reflects the building's function, responds to the climate of Qatar and enhances the theatre of the event," said Foster + Partners head of studio Luke Fox.

Described by the studio as a "golden vessel", the stadium's form was informed by Islamic bowls as well as local architecture.

The perforated facade was made up of numerous flat, triangular pieces supported on a steel frame to create the curved form. Triangular openings in the facade reference the stadium's structure and create a perforated screen that allows light into the internal concourses.

According to the studio, creating an "immersive atmosphere" for players and spectators was the starting point for the design, with fans arranged as close as possible to the pitch.

The stadium stands on a broad podium, with entrance gates placed under the curve of the golden facade leading to a concourse located between the two tiers of stands.

"The arrival experience is intuitive and immersive," said Fox.

"Spectators enter the vessel between two tiers of seating that have been intentionally compressed to heighten the sense of drama as they emerge into the generous seating bowl flooded with natural light."

The stadium is topped with a "spoke-wheel" cable net roof that provides shade for fans and players. The 307-meter-diameter structure is one of the largest to be installed in a stadium, and along with the facade was designed to help reduce its energy consumption.

"The outer compression ring is connected to a central tension ring by a complex cable system," explained the studio. "This method creates a wide-expanse roof without the need for supporting columns."

Within the stadium, which has achieved a five-star rating under the Global Sustainability Assessment System, outdoor air conditioning will also be used to cool fans.

Foster + Partners hopes that the stadium, which is expected to be reduced in capacity to around 40,000 after the tournament, will become "an enduring symbol" for the country's World Cup.

"Using the experience of redesigning Wembley Stadium with its now iconic arch, we are incredibly proud to have created a unique and instantly recognisable symbol for Qatar as host of the FIFA World Cup," said Foster + Partners senior partner Angus Campbell.

"We believe the stadium will be a truly memorable venue for this year’s final and many other international events in the future."

Lusail Stadium is the latest venue that has been completed ahead of the tournament, which will kick off on 20 November, with the final set to take place on 18 December.

Other stadiums set to host games during the tournament include Al Wakrah Stadium, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, a stadium modelled on traditional Arab hat, a stadium in a giant tent and a demountable stadium built with shipping containers.

The photography is by Nigel Young.

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Spanish football club Real Madrid has released a video that shows the ongoing remodeling of its Santiago Bernabéu stadium, including the construction of its retractable pitch.

The video shows the exterior of the curved stadium, which is being renovated by designed by Spanish architecture studios L35 and Ribas & Ribas together with German studio GMP Architecten, being fitted with 106-metre-long beams weighing 530 tons.

Inside the 152,000-square-metre stadium, a large pit is being constructed that will hold a new pitch removal and storage system.

Pitch will be stored underground

The retractable pitch will be housed in six underground levels that reach a depth of over 25 metres and feature an underground irrigation system, as well as ultraviolet lighting for the pitch grass.

This design will allow the stadium to also be used for other events, such as baseball and tennis matches, with the grass divided into wide ribbons that are slotted underneath the stadium floor and elevated by hydraulic lifts when needed.

When the renovation is complete Santiago Bernabéu will also be used to hold concerts and will have a capacity of 85,000 visitors, up from its current number of 81,044.

Its wrap-around steel facade has been designed to be lit up so that images and information can be projected on the stadium's exterior, and it will also have a retractable roof.

Completion date set for 2023

One of the world's best-known stadiums, the Santiago Bernabéu was originally built in 1947 and designed by architects Manuel Muñoz Monasterio and Luis Alemany Soler. It is currently the second-largest stadium in Spain.

"The new stadium will continue to be the setting that generates the emotions which will leave their mark on Real Madrid's future," Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez said.

"It'll be the best stadium in the world in which to see us once again recognised at the end of the century as the best club of the 21st century," he added. "It'll offer a new stadium, heritage and be a new source of pride for our members and fans".

The stadium renovation was approved in 2016 and is expected to be completed in 2023.

Other stadiums that incorporate retractable playing surfaces include the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the UK, Sapporo Dome in Japan, the University of Phoenix Stadium in the USA, the Gelredome in the Netherlands and the Veltins-Arena in Germany.

In other football stadium news, football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan have announced that the iconic San Siro will be replaced by a stadium designed by architecture studio Populous.

The video is courtesy of Real Madrid.

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A decorative exoskeleton that references the Bavarian flag will surround the Multifunctional Concert and Congress Center stadium, which architecture studio Populous is designing in Munich, Germany.

Set to host a mix of concerts and large-scale events, the round 20,000-capacity arena will be built on parkland beside the LabCampus innovation centre at Munich Airport.

According to Populous, its design will ensure "a high recognition factor" while paying homage to the heritage of Bavaria, the state in which Munich is situated.

This will be achieved with the building's distinctive rhombus-shaped exoskeleton, which references the lozenge-like forms that make up the Bavarian state flag.

"Our design aims to create a unique destination – compact, efficient, and visually stunning," said Populous' associate principal Sin-Jae Yoo.

"It will be an instantly recognisable venue, reflecting the character and culture of the area and offering an unparalleled visitor experience," Yoo continued. "The arena will create a new landmark for Munich."

Populous' proposal for the Multifunctional Concert and Congress Center (MUCcc) was the winning entry in a multi-stage competition held for the venue's design.

It is now being developed in collaboration with local developer SWMUNICH Real Estate, with the aim of boosting the region’s cultural offering and local economy.

Alongside its nod to Bavaria, the design will incorporate renewable energy sources that are hoped to supply all of the energy that the stadium requires to operate.

"Several thousand solar panels on the roof of the arena and around the site, coupled with the potential for geothermal energy and district heating, will ensure that the energy for operating the arena can be generated and supplied on site," Populous explained.

The building, which is designed to be visible "even from a distance", will also incorporate a row of trees around its roof.

Inside, MUCcc's seating will be organised in a horseshoe shape with a steep gradient to maximise sightlines and views of the stage.

The design will also incorporate "state-of-the-art technology and the expertise of acoustic specialists", according to the studio.

A construction start date is yet to be announced for the project, but according to the MUCcc website, it is hoped to open within the next five years.

Elsewhere, Populous is currently also finalising its design for the MSG Sphere music and esports arena in London, which recently won planning approval.

Other large venues by the studio, which was founded in 1983, include the Ice Ribbon built for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

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Seattle-based architecture firm SRG Partnership has reimagined the Hayward Field stadium in Eugene, Oregon, with glulam beams supporting an ETFE canopy.

Hayward Field, home to the track and field facility for the University of Oregon, was recently renovated in order to include a new grandstand and canopy.

The redesigned stadium has 12,650 seats with 84,085 square feet (25,630 square metres) of concourses and ramps, along with 40,000 square feet (12,190 square metres) of underground training facilities.

"Hayward Field sets a new standard for fan experience and connection to the sport," said SRG Partnership.

The new canopy was built using glue-laminated wood that rises from the seating in slightly curved arches, which are a nod to the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

These arches support the ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) canopy, which provides shade while not creating shadows on the field that are too severe.

Nearer the field, the material is more transparent, and towards the top, it becomes more fritted.

"We decided to go with a single layer of ETFE and stretch it taught, so it becomes kind of a diaphanous, simple form that
sits on this solid masonry base," SRG principal Rick Zieve said.

The shape and material of the canopy also have acoustic properties that amplify the sounds from the stands.

A metaphor for the body of the athlete guided the canopy's design, said the architects, with the wood being the ribs "that support and protect the heart with a translucent 'skin' roof covering."

On the exterior, supporting the canopy is a base of precast trapezoidal concrete panels. The panels lean in the same direction as the athletes run on the track.

This base encloses the training areas and supports the main concourse above where the canopy shields the entrance to the stadium bowl.

The bowl is raised off the ground to promote airflow, and is clad with metal mess with graphics that depict original design sketches by Nike co-founder and funder of the project, Bill Bowerman.

More nods to Bowerman are included in a statue and historical plaques from the old stadium located in the plaza at the entrance to the site.

Presiding over the entrance is the nine-storey Hayward tower, which is clad in perforated metal that depicts iconic figures who have competed at Hayward Field.

Inside, the seating is cast in different shades of green. The architects did not use suspended boxes for VIP guests, instead putting the premier seating closer to the field in the area between the lower seating and stadium bowl.

Other buildings of architectural note recently completed on the University of Oregon's campus include a research facility designed by Ennead Architects and Bora Architecture & Interiors.

The photography is by Kevin Scott. 

Project credits: 

Architect: SRG Partnership
Interior design: SRG Partnership
Contractor: Hoffman Construction Company
Civil engineer: Mazzetti
Structural engineer: MKA
Mechanical engineer: PAE Engineers
Electrical engineer: PAE Engineers
Geotechnical engineer: GRI Geotechnical Resources
Landscape: Cameron McCarthy and PLACE Studio
Lighting: Horton Lees Brogden (HLB)
Branding: AHM Brands
Code: FP&C Consultants
Wind consultant: RWDI
Exhibit design: Gallagher

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The Berlin studio of David Chipperfield Architects and engineering firm Arup have revealed the Santa Giulia arena in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Designed as the centrepiece of the new Milano Santa Giulia city district, the 12,000-seat arena will host ice hockey events during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Located a few kilometres from Milan's city centre, the Milano Santa Giulia district was masterplanned by Foster + Partners in 2006. It will contain a mix of residential, education, commercial and leisure buildings, alongside a park and the arena.

David Chipperfield Architects and Arup designed the elliptical arena to reference traditional amphitheatres, while the neighbouring piazza will be used for outdoor events.

"The elliptical form of the building is inspired by the archetype of the amphitheatre, being reinterpreted with modern tectonics and materials," said David Chipperfield Architects.

"The strategic position of the arena creates a spacious piazza of over 10,000 square metres in the northern section of the site, which can also be used as a venue for outdoor events."

The arena, which will have capacity for 12,000 seated and 4,000 standing, will be used for concerts and events following the games.

It will be composed of a stack of three metallic levels surrounded by large LED media screens that illuminate the building at night. Separated by glass bands, the three tiers are designed to appear as though they are floating above each other.

It will be elevated on a podium, accessed by both a wide flight of steps as well as an entrance cut into one of its street-level edges.

Lined with trees, these entrance areas will be designed to resemble "a green hilly landscape" and counterbalance "the hard materiality of the podium", the studio explained.

The stadium's exterior will be complete with photovoltaic roof panels to produce electricity that will "largely covers the needs of the energy-efficient building", according to David Chipperfield Architects.

Inside, there will be two tiers of seating above the main floor of the area. There will also be a level with lounges and skyboxes.

All the seating will be made accessible via large lobbies at each floor level, where there will be catering facilities among other services.

Elsewhere in Milan, Populous is currently designing a stadium called the Cathedral for football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan to replace the iconic San Siro stadium.

David Chipperfield Architects was founded by British architect David Chipperfield in London in 1985. Today it has studios in Berlin, Milan and Shanghai.

The firm is currently renovating Jenners department store in Edinburgh and recently completed a theatre for a cultural district in Jingdezhen.

The visuals are by Onirism Studio.

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Architecture studio HKS has designed SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which is set to host this year's Super Bowl, as the home of American football teams the LA Chargers and LA Rams.

Built in the Inglewood area of Los Angeles, the stadium will host LA Rams when they play Cincinnati Bengals in Superbowl LVI on Sunday 13 February.

Completed in 2020 at a cost of $5.5 billion, the 70,000-capacity venue – which will be expanded to seat 100,000 for the Superbowl – is the most expensive stadium ever built.

It was designed by HKS for LA Rams-owner Stan Kroenke's development company Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to be an "entertainment destination".

"Mr Kroenke asked us to do two things: create an entertainment destination in the entertainment capital of the world, and architecture that embodied the spirit of southern California," said Lance Evans, director of sports at HKS.

"Our design team took that to heart; it led every decision on this building," he told Dezeen.

The stadium, along with a neighbouring 6,000-seat music venue and connecting plaza, was covered by a large roof that has the form of a "coastal wave".

"It's not just a stadium," explained Evans. "In fact, the 6,000-seat YouTube Theater and 2.5-acre American Airlines Plaza are also under that one massive, swooping roof, which also protects the NFL's largest stadium."

Described by the studio as the NFL's "first indoor-outdoor stadium", the transparent roof was designed to give the venue the feel of an outdoor stadium, while being protected from the weather.

Supported on a series of columns, the roof is structurally separate from the seating bowl and made from a single layer of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) covered with a film to protect players and spectators from the sun.

"The roof never touches the stadium walls," explained Evans."It's completely free-standing, hovering above and around the massive venue."

"The roof is open on three sides, which allows for a fantastic ocean breeze to flow through the seating bowl."

The seating bowl itself was sunk into the ground by around 27 metres to reduce the building's height, due to the proximity of the LAX airport.

A large double-side screen is suspended from the roof to show replays and scores.

"The ETFE roof amplifies sound in the stadium; it's electric when the fans are cheering," said Evans.

"The dual-sided videoboard technology is another key. As you enter it's at eye level. Everyone in the stadium can see and engage with the technology; there's no bad seat in the house."

The stadium complex was built as the first stage of a 300-acre entertainment district called Hollywood Park, which will contain a hotel, shops and 3,000 homes.

It is set in a series of gardens, plazas and lakes designed by San Francisco-based Studio-MLA.

Overall, Evans hopes that the venue will set a new standard for stadium design and change fans' perceptions of watching sports live.

"We hope that when fans walk in for the first time, they have a sense of wonder and excitement," said Evans.

"We want to change what fans think about an NFL stadium. We wanted to immerse fans in the overall game-day experience – to hear, see and feel the energy, from the lower bowl to the highest seats in the stadium."

SoFi Stadium is the latest stadium featured on Dezeen to host a Superbowl, which is the culmination of the National Football League (NFL) season.

In 2020 the Superbowl was hosted by the Hard Rock stadium in Miami Gardens, while the 2019 match took place in the HOK-designed Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The photography is by Nic Lexhoux.

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With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics due to commence on 4 February, Dezeen rounds up the most architecturally significant venues, including a new stadium by Populous and the world's first permanent structure for big air extreme snow jumping.

The majority of the venues for the upcoming Winter Games are not new, with some built as venues for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics as the city becomes the first ever to host both editions of the 16-day competition.

Most famous among these is the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, which was designed by Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron.

This system of reusing stadiums follows the precedent set by the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and has been touted by the organizing committee as a more sustainable approach.

However, some notable new structures will also be on display as the Olympic cauldron is aflame once again in China.

Beijing National Stadium by Herzog & de Meuron (2007)

Better known as the Bird's Nest, this Herzog & de Meuron-designed stadium is easily recognisable as the main venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics thanks to its steel lattice envelope.

No sporting competitions will take place here next month, but the 80,000-seater stadium, for which acclaimed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was a design consultant, will reprise its role as the host of the opening and closing ceremonies for the upcoming winter games.

Beijing National Aquatics Center by PTW Architects (2007)

Designed by a consortium including Australian studio PTW Architects and nicknamed the Water Cube, the National Aquatics Center is another 2008 Olympics venue being repurposed for the Winter Olympics.

Organizers say it has been transformed into the Ice Cube with the addition of ice-making and climate control equipment. Rather than hosting swimming and diving, this time around it will act as a curling rink.

National Speed Skating Oval by Populous (2021) 

Designed by stadium specialist architecture studio Populous, the National Speed Skating Oval is the only new venue built in Beijing's Olympic Park for the 2022 Winter Games, having been constructed on the site of the hockey and archery fields used in 2008.

It has been dubbed the Ice Ribbon in reference to the 22 light-up strands encircling the stadium, with Populous promising that the 12,000 spectators will hear "every sound from skates on ice" around the 400-metre race track.

Beijing National Indoor Stadium by Glöckner Architekten GmbH (2007)

Another 2008 legacy venue with a playful moniker – in this case The Fan, after its resemblance to a traditional Chinese folding fan – the National Indoor Stadium will be swapping rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and handball for ice hockey at Beijing 2022.

The 20,000-seater arena was designed by German firm Glöckner Architekten GmbH.

Wukesong Sports Centre by David Manica and the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (2008)

The Wukesong Sports Centre, officially known as the Cadillac Center, staged the basketball tournament at the 2008 Summer Games and has since become one of Beijing's major multipurpose arenas.

It will share responsibility for hosting the ice hockey at the upcoming Olympics with the National Indoor Stadium, making use of an ice rink that can be converted back into a basketball court in under six hours that was installed in 2015 as part of a renovation worked on by Populous.

Golden perforated aluminium ribbons envelop the building, designed by David Manica when working for HOK Sport – now Populous – in association with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design.

Big Air Shougang by TeamMinus (2019) 

Perhaps the most eye-catching structure to appear in this list, Big Air Shougang is among the small number of new venues built for Beijing 2022, where it will host the skiing and snowboarding "big air" extreme jumping events. According to the Games' organisers, it is the world's first permanent big air structure.

The venue was designed by TeamMinus, a studio led by professor Zhang Li, who also heads the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University.

Clad in colourful perforated aluminium panels, it has been constructed on the site of one of Beijing's largest former steel mills, with the plant's four industrial cooling towers still standing watch.

Capital Indoor Stadium by Ming Xiong (1968)

Built in 1968, the Capital Indoor Stadium hosted table tennis matches in 1971 as part of the ping-pong diplomacy programme credited with thawing relations between the USA and China during the Cold War.

The arena was renovated ahead of the 2008 Olympics, where it staged the volleyball tournament, and will be home to the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions as athletes descend on Beijing once again next month.

National Sliding Centre by Atelier Li Xinggang (2021) 

This 1,975 metre-long sliding track, in the Yanqing Winter Olympic Zone 75 kilometres north of Beijing, is characterised by a tiled wooden roof across its entire length and will host the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge events at February's Games.

China's first sliding centre and only the third to be built in Asia, it was designed by the studio of architect Li Xinggang within the China Architecture Design & Research Group, which also designed Yangqing Olympic Village and the National Alpine Skiing Centre.

National Ski Jumping Centre by TeamMinus (2020) 

Another new venue for Beijing 2022 designed by TeamMinus, the National Ski Jumping Centre has been nicknamed Snow Ruyi on account of its likeness to a ruyi, a traditional Chinese sceptre talisman associated with power and good fortune.

At the top of the slope is a 40-metre high circular viewing platform containing a panoramic restaurant, with a judges' tower halfway down and a stadium at the bottom.

The centre will stage the ski jump and Nordic combined events at this year's Winter Olympics, before becoming a training facility for Chinese athletes and tourist resort. It is located in the Games' Zhangjiakou Zone at a popular ski destination 180 kilometres northwest of Beijing, to which visitors will be transported via a newly built intercity railway.

Images courtesy of Beijing 2022 unless otherwise stated. Top image shows the National Alpine Skiing Centre.

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Architecture firm Populous has unveiled the National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the Ice Ribbon, the only new building created for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Boasting a facade formed of 22 giant, illuminated ribbons, the 12,000-seat arena is expected to become a focal point of the games, which start next week. Its 400-metre race track will be the venue for all speed skating events.

International firm Populous – whose previous buildings include the London Olympic Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – based its design on a children's game played in Beijing.

Tiric Chang, principal of Populous China, recalled the game involving high-speed spinning "ice top", which he played with friends in the Shichahai Park ice rink.

"The traditional ice game in old Beijing involved a high-speed spinning and leaping ice top that seemed to have infinite energy and possibilities," he said.

"That's what I thought of when reflecting on the characteristics of Olympic speed skating. So, the ice tops became part of the design inspiration injecting a strong Chinese memory into the venue."

This developed into a design involving 22 huge light strands, which flow around the oval-shaped stadium to create the impression of fast motion.

The shape of these ribbons is based on another of Chang's childhood memories.

"The ribbons of the design make reference to the floating silk ribbons of the artwork my family had dedicated their time to – which was the study and preservation of the Dunhuang Grottoes, a significant collection of Buddhist art from the Tang dynasty," he said.

The ribbons create a 33.8-metre-high cocoon around the arena, designed to create a more immersive experience for spectators. They can be programmed with dynamic lighting, which will bring the facade to life at night.

With Beijing becoming the first city in history to host both a summer and winter Olympics, the Ice Ribbon has been built in the existing Beijing Olympic Park.

It sits alongside Herzog & de Meuron's National Stadium and the National Aquatics Centre by PTW Architects – better known as the Bird's Nest and the Watercube – which will both be back in use for this year's games.

State-of-the-art technology features in the Ice Ribbo, in order to optimise its performance and reduce its environmental impact.

It will be one of the first venues in the world to feature an ice surface created using carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling, making it more energy-efficient than a traditional rink.

This system makes it possible to achieve a temperature difference of less 0.5 degrees Celsius across the surface, which results in a faster and stronger track.

Seating and acoustics have also been carefully designed, to ensure the movement and sound of the speed skating blades can be seen and heard from every seat.

Populous won a competition to design the National Speed Skating Oval (NSSO) in 2016.

The firm then developed the schematic design in just 12 weeks, to allow construction to begin on schedule. It involved collaboration between Populous staff from all around the world.

"The winning design for the Ice Ribbon was created in an intense time frame and was forged through several concepts and many iterations to develop a spinning concept into its final form," said senior principal Andrew James.

"It became a global effort with our team in Beijing, Brisbane, India, London and America drawing on our experience from Oval Lingotto in Turin, Italy, and our design of Fisht Stadium in Russia, home of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games," he added.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics take place from 4 to 20 February.

Populous has designed numerous venues for the Olympics. As well as the Fisht Stadium for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the studio created the  London 2012 Olympic stadium.It is currently designing the masterplan for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

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Football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan have announced that the iconic San Siro will be replaced by a stadium designed by architecture studio Populous.

Named the Cathedral, the new stadium in Milan will be home to Italian top-tier football clubs AC Milan and Internazionale Milano, also known as Inter Milan. It will replace the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, which is widely known as the San Siro and has been home to the clubs since 1926.

Designed by Populous, the form of the new stadium was informed by two of the city's best-known buildings, the Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele shopping arcade.

The 60,000-seat venue will have a rectangular shape and be surrounded by vertical fins. These fins will extend outwards from the stadium to support a glass wall that will enclose a space described by the studio as a "sunlit galleria".

Inside, the stadium's bowl was designed to be the "most intimate in Europe", by placing fans as close as possible to the pitch.

The stadium will be topped with photovoltaic panels and rainwater will be collected from the roof and reused.

"The Cathedral will become one of the most iconic stadiums in world football," said Populous managing director Christopher Lee.

"It will create a world-class, modern, and truly bespoke home for the legendary clubs of AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano and form the beating heart of a new civic district," he continued.

"It will be a stadium for all Milanese to enjoy for generations to come that is true to the city and honours its heritage. A stadium of Milano and for Milano."

The Cathedral will be built alongside the existing San Siro, which will then be demolished, as part of a redevelopment of the stadium's site.

The area will be turned into a pedestrian-only district, with existing car parking moved underground and topped with more than 110,000 square metres of green space.

The San Siro is one of the world's best-known stadiums. Designed by architect Ulisse Stacchini and extensively remodelled for the 1990 World Cup by Ragazzi and Partners, it was described by designer Fabio Novembre as "probably the most well-known place in Milan".

Its replacement has been controversial, with architects, critics and heritage bodies critical of its demolition.

Last year Italian architect Angelo Renna proposed turning the stadium into a coronavirus memorial by filling it with 35,000 cypress trees.

The renders are courtesy of Populous.

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Multidisciplinary studio Dar Al-Handasah has completed the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium in the Qatari city of Al Khor for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

Set to host the football tournament's opening game next November, the stadium is defined by its distinctive tent-like structure.

Built in the northern port city of Al Khor, the Al Bayt Stadium was named after the historic bayt al sha'ar tents that were traditionally used by nomadic people in the country and across the region.

Dar Al-Handasah's design was directly informed by these tented structures.

The exterior walls and peaked roofs of each of the four stands surrounding the pitch were covered in polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) woven fiberglass membrane to create the tent-like form.

A retractable roof connects the four stands to enclose the stadium.

"As well as being incredibly eye-catching, the tent design is deeply practical," said Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

"The shade provided by the tent structure and its retractable roof system complement the stadium's cooling technologies, helping maintain a comfortable temperature inside without using any extra power."

The stadium's PTFE membrane exterior was coloured in traditional black, red and white colours to further reference the traditional nomadic people's tents. Weaving patterns used by the nomadic tribes have also been incorporated with the building.

"Traditionally, the tents of nomadic tribes and families in Qatar could be identified by black stripes like those on the arena's distinctive exterior, and by the vibrant sadu patterns that will greet fans once inside the stadium," said the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

Following the tournament, the stadium's upper tier of seating will be removed to reduce the venue's capacity to 32,000. According to the tournament's organisers, these stands will be donated to help build sporting infrastructure in other countries.

"After the tournament, the arena will reach even more people around the globe in a remarkable way," said the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. "Like a true nomad's tent, it is portable."

A luxury hotel will be built within the upper tier once the seating is removed.

Various other facilities including a shopping centre, restaurants, gym, sports medicine hospital, and community hall will also be built within the stadium after the tournament.

Al Bayt Stadium is the sixth venue to be inaugurated ahead of the World Cup next year. Last week saw the opening of Stadium 974, which incorporates 974 shipping containers in its design, while the Zaha Hadid-designed Al Wakrah Stadium hosted its first match in 2019.

Photography courtesy of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

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Colourful shipping containers and a modular steel structure make up Stadium 974, which Fenwick Iribarren Architects has completed in Qatar ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

Formerly known as Ras Abu Aboud, the 40,000-seat sports venue near Doha's port is the first stadium designed to be fully demountable in FIFA World Cup history.

Stadium 974 was designed by Spanish studio Fenwick Iribarren Architects with structural engineers Schlaich Bergermann Partner and engineering consultancy Hilson Moran.

Its modular structure combines repurposed shipping containers and a steel structure, parts of which are recycled.

The aim is for the stadium to be dismantled and reassembled in a new location after the football tournament in 2022, or repurposed as a series of smaller venues.

Its modular design also reduced constructions costs, build time and material waste, and organisers said water efficiency methods ensure it will reduce water use by 40 per cent compared to a conventional stadium development.

Stadium 974 is named after the number of shipping containers used for its construction. The number 974 is also the country's international dialling code.

The shipping containers, many of which were used to transport construction materials to the venue, serve as a nod to Qatar's maritime history and the industrial heritage of the site.

While forming portions of the stadium's exterior, some of these steel containers contain staircases, concession stands and bathrooms.

According to the Supreme Committee for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 (SC), Stadium 974 has been designed by Fenwick Iribarren Architects to achieve the five-star certification in the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for both its construction and design.

GSAS rates green building and infrastructure across the Middle East and North Africa. Certification is available for the design, construction and operations of a structure, with six stars being the highest achievable rating.

The shape of the stadium and gaps between the seats facilitate natural ventilation, meaning artificial cooling is not required. This is helped by the stadium's proximity to the sea.

The SC hopes also hopes the project will serve as "an innovative blueprint" for more sustainable stadium designs for future largescale events.

"The striking Stadium 974 is a proud symbol of sustainability and innovation," said SC chairman and engineer Yasir Al Jamal.

"We consider this innovative venue a game-changer for future mega-event hosts," added the SC's secretary-general ​​Hassan Al Thawadi.

The stadium will host its first match on 30 November. Other recently completed stadiums for the tournament include the Al Thumama Stadium by Ibrahim M Jaidah and the Education City Stadium that Fenwick Iribarren Architects also designed.

Stadium 974 is the only stadium positioned close to the sea and will also be the first stadium that football fans will see upon arriving in Qatar for the tournament, due to its proximity to Hamad International Airport.

Elsewhere, recent architecture projects that have made use of repurposed shipping containers include a housing complex for the homeless in LA and a black holiday house in New York.

Other reversible buildings featured on Dezeen include Triodos Bank, a timber-framed office nestled in Dutch woodland, and the egg-shaped Tij Observatory in the Netherlands.

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Tournament venues designed by Foster + Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects feature among the completed stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Construction has now completed on Lusail Stadium, which was designed by British studio Foster + Partners and will host the final game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

With Lusail, the largest and final venue for the World Cup now finished and set to be inaugurated next year, Dezeen has rounded up all eight realised stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The sporting event takes place from November to December 2022 and will be the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world.

Lusail Stadium by Foster + Partners

The aptly named Lusail Stadium is located in Lusail City and is Qatar’s largest 2022 FIFA World Cup venue. The stadium will seat 80,000 people and host both the opening and closing of the 2022 football tournament.

Its design by Foster + Partners was informed by and references Arab architecture, reflecting the decorative designs on Arab and Islamic bowls and vessels.

Lusail City, where the stadium is located, is a "futuristic" new city that will be home to 250,000 people and is located 20 kilometres from Doha.

Stadium 974 by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects

Constructed using modified shipping containers, Stadium 974 was designed by Spanish architecture practice Fenwick-Iribarren Architects.

974 repurposed steel shipping containers will be arranged in a curving square to house 40,000 seats. The stadium will be the first fully demountable stadium in FIFA World Cup history.

Located in Ras Abu Aboud, it will host matches up to and including the round of 16 during the World Cup.

Al Bayt Stadium by Dar Al-Handasah

Informed by 'bayt al sha'ar', tents historically used by nomadic people in Qatar and the Gulf region, the Al Bayt Stadium by Dar Al-Handasah celebrates the history of Qatar and its people.

Its tent-like design has a retractable roof system that will shade the structure and work with the cooling systems to cool the stadium internally.  The stadium was opened in 2020 and will host 60,000 people during the football tournaments.

The stadium will host matches up to and including the semi-finals and after the tournament, 28,000 seats will be donated to developing countries.

Al Thumama Stadium by Ibrahim M Jaidah

Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah modelled the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha after the gahfiya, a traditional woven cap worn by men throughout the Middle East.

The stadium has a 40,000-person capacity in its large concrete bowl. After the tournament has ended, 20,000 seats from the upper stand will be removed and replaced by a 60-room boutique hotel.

Al Thumama Stadium will host matches up to and including the quarter-finals stage of the tournament.

Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium by Pattern Design and Ramboll

Built on the site of the former Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, the stadium by Pattern Design and Ramboll used materials from the deconstructed stadium within the new structure.

The stadium is clad in multimedia screens that glow and change colours. These are enveloped by a metal screen that depicts patterns and motifs typically found across Qatari architecture.

Its design was inspired by sand dunes and Islamic architecture, and the building will host matches up to and including the round of 16.

Education City Stadium by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects and Pattern Design

Colloquially known as the "Diamond in the Desert", Fenwick-Iribarren Architects and Pattern Design's Education City Stadium has a tessellating, geometric facade that changes colours as the sun hits its surface.

The stadium was the first of Qatar's 2022 tournament stadiums to be awarded a five-star rating for sustainability from the Global Sustainability Assessment System.

It will host matches up to and including the quarter finals stage and be home to Qatar's women's national team and two schools after the World Cup is over.

Al Janoub Stadium by AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects

The Al Janoub Stadium by AECOM and Zaha Hadid Architects was the first of the Qatar 2022 stadium's to be completed. It is located 10 miles south of Doha and is host to 40,000 seats.

The design was informed by the sails of the traditional dhow fishing boats found in the city's harbour, as a tribute to Al Wakrah's seagoing history. The stadium was also built with cooling systems and a retractable roof.

Al Janoub Stadium will host matches up to and including the round of 16.

Khalifa International Stadium by Dar Al-Handasah

The Khalifa International Stadium was renovated and redeveloped in the lead to the FIFA World Cup 2022. It was updated with a new tier of seating, adding 12,000 seats, as well as a new facade.

The structure has hosted a variety of sporting events since it first opened in 1975 and has since served as Qatar's national stadium.

It was the first stadium to be ready for the tournament and will host matches up to and including the third-place play-off.

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Photovoltaics and a rainwater harvesting system feature in a hockey stadium in Seattle that has been designed by architecture firm Populous and named after Amazon's Climate Pledge initiative.

Located near the downtown district, the Climate Pledge Arena sits within the Seattle Center – a 74-acre (30-hectare) cultural and entertainment district originally built for the 1962 World's Fair. It is where the city's iconic Space Needle is located.

The project entailed a major overhaul and expansion of an existing arena – the Washington State Pavilion, later known as KeyArena, which was designed by noted architect Paul Thiry and built for the World's Fair.

The revitalised stadium, which opened in October, is home to the National Hockey League's newest team, the Seattle Kraken, along with the women's basketball team Seattle Storm.

The 17,000-seat venue will also be used for concerts and other large-scale events. The seven-level facility encompasses 740,000 square feet (68,748 square metres).

Populous was commissioned to design the stadium by the City of Seattle and the developer Oak View Group.

Amazon purchased the naming rights and opted to name the arena after the retailer's Climate Pledge initiative, which calls on companies to be net-zero carbon by 2040.

While much of the project involved new construction, certain parts of the original building had to be retained due to landmark status. The team was required to preserve the building's glazed facades and its hyperbolic-paraboloid roof, which consists of standing-seam metal and a concrete ring beam.

"The new construction required the 44-million-pound roof to be suspended above the site while the new arena was built underneath," the team said.

The original facility was about half the size of the new arena. To increase the amount of square footage, the team expanded downward. A large portion of the seating bowl is actually below grade.

Special features within the revamped arena include a 200-foot (61-metre) living wall and a pair of digital scoreboards that are suspended over the rink.

Each floor has a designated colour, ranging from light blue on the top level to a muted orange in the main concourse. Suite and dining spaces were designed by New York's Rockwell Group and feature earthy materials like oak.

Architect Jason McLennan, founder of the Seattle-based International Living Future Institute, served as a sustainability consultant for the project and the arena has an array of sustainable features.

Power is provided by an on- and off-site solar array, along with energy purchased from other renewable sources. Water conservation measures include ice made from collected rainwater that is stored in a 15,000-gallon cistern.

The site has electric vehicle charging stations and bike valet services. Additionally, stadium attendees are offered free rides on mass transit.

Bolstering pedestrian access to the arena was a key concern for the team. In turn, the new facility is surrounded by a large plaza that provides year-round green space on the Seattle Center campus.

The outdoor landscape also features 67 leafy London plane trees that were planted for the 1962 World's Fair and hold landmark designation.

"These trees maintain a massive canopy on the site, aid in carbon capture and connect surrounding neighbourhoods with the expansive Seattle Center campus," the team said.

Populous has designed numerous sports facilities around the globe, including the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London, which has a retractable pitch that can host both Premier League football matches and American football.

Populous also worked with HOK and Arquitectonica to design Florida's Hard Rock Stadium, which features a shade canopy made from 15,400 tonnes of steel.

The photography is by Populous and Climate Pledge Arena.

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The Al Thumama Stadium in Doha designed by Qatari architect Ibrahim M Jaidah and based on a gahfiya cap has been inaugurated ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

The 40,000-capacity stadium in the south of Doha is the sixth tournament-ready venue to be completed ahead of the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Qatar next year.

Named Al Thumama Stadium after a locally found tree, the stadium has a distinctive circular form.

It was designed by Jaidah, who is the chief architect of Arab Engineering Bureau, to look like a gahfiya, a traditional woven head cap worn by men throughout the Middle East.

"I remember that night, I got my hands on all types of gahfiyas in order to study the different patterns on each," said Jaidah.

"I've always worn it as a child, however, I didn't expect to see all the different shapes and the depth of their designs."

"I used to wake up in the middle of the night to examine the patterns on the different gahfiyas," Jaidah continued.

"I finally drew a rough sketch that I liked and told my engineers that this will be the design we are going with."

Jaidah and his studio Arab Engineering Bureau were one of several organisations invited by Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to design a stadium informed by a gahfiya for the site.

He hopes that his design will reflect both the modern and traditional nature of the country.

"I had a feeling my competitors were going to take the original shape and completely modernise it; removing its traditional essence and making it look nothing like a gahfiya," said Jaidah.

"I wanted to ensure my design was modern but at the same time, I didn't want to strip it from its traditional identity. Preserving local identity and heritage was of paramount importance to me."

The circular stadium has a concrete bowl that will have 40,000 seats during the World Cup.

Above and around, the head-cap-shaped canopy will provide shade for spectators and players as part of the stadium's cooling strategy.

"The shape of the gahfiya does not only serve a design purpose," said Jaidah.

"In a similar way to how the gahfiya is used to cover one's head from the heat, the shape is also used to protect the spectators from the sun."

Like many of the venues at the World Cup, which will be played in November and December, Al Thumama Stadium will be artificially cooled.

At this stadium, air is cooled using fans powered by solar energy and then released into the venue through large pitch-side nozzles and grills in the stands.

Following the World Cup, the stadium's capacity will be reduced, with 20,000 seats from the upper stands removed.

In their place, a boutique hotel will be built with 60 rooms directly facing the pitch.

Other stadiums that will host games during the World Cup include the Education City Stadium designed by Pattern Design and Fenwick-Iribarren Architects and the Al Wakrah Stadium designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Photography courtesy of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy

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Cedar panels clad the eaves of the 68,000-seat Japan National Stadium, which Japanese studio Kengo Kuma and Associates designed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The structure in Tokyo's Meiji-Jingu Park by Kengo Kuma and Associates with Taisei Corporation and Azusa Sekkei Co hosted the games' opening ceremony last week and is set to host the track and field athletics events at both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Completed in 2019, ahead of the coronavirus-postponed games, the stadium takes the form of a large oval.

Its main structure is made from reinforced concrete and steel, sheltered by a roof structure made of steel with laminated larch and cedar trusses.

The roof is punctured with a huge oculus above the track but cantilevered to shelter three tiers of spectators seats.

Behind the seating are the circulation areas, which wrap the edges of each level and contain 47,000 plants. This greenery is visible externally and was designed to help the stadium blend in with the surrounding green environment.

To reduce the visual impact on the site, the stadium height was minimised by combining a flat roof and a compact arrangement of seats.

Externally, the structure is distinguished by a series of eaves that are clad in cedar collected from 46 of Japan's prefectures and Ryukyu-pine from Okinawa.

The eaves were designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates as a contemporary interpretation of the overhanging eaves of traditional wooden Japanese buildings.

They also offer functional benefits, keeping out the sunlight and rain while encouraging air to circulate and prevailing wind to enter. This helps to cool the building in hot weather in tandem with airflow-creating fans and a mist-cooling system.

Wood also features inside the Japan National Stadium, where it lines the interior spaces to help create a warm and tactile environment. It has also been used to furnish the athletes' dressing rooms and to create benches in recreation spaces.

The stadium is complete with more than 450 places for wheelchair users, solar panels on the roof that generate electricity and rainwater collection points in underground cisterns that are used to irrigate the arena's greenery.

The Japan National Stadium featured in our roundup of architecturally significant venues hosting the games alongside structures by Japanese architects Kenzo Tange and Fumihiko Maki.

We also featured the stadium during Dezeen's Virtual Design Festival last year, when architecture video blogger Martin van der Linden described it as "quite simple, and definitely not iconic".

When Japan National Stadium was first revealed in 2015 it became mired in controversy as it replaced a proposal by UK architect Zaha Hadid that was scrapped over rising costs and opposition.

It came under fire again in 2017 as tropical hardwood linked to deforestation and human rights violations was used as a mould for its concrete elements. This is one of the reasons the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has been accused of greenwashing by promising to be the greenest Olympic event ever.

The photography is courtesy of Japan Sport Council.

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Architecture studio Populous has unveiled visuals of a multi-purpose arena in Toronto, Canada, designed to be able to host music concerts, plays and esports competitions.

Due to complete in 2025, the 7,000-seat stadium will be located in the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Grounds.

The as-yet-unnamed Toronto venue will be specially designed to facilitate esports events, short for electronic sports – competitive video gaming as a spectator event.

Populous has designed the stadium so that it can host these events alongside more traditional theatrical events and concerts.

"The design of the theatre was neither conceived as a sports arena nor an opera house, rather, a new typology that straddles the two – a state-of-the-art performance venue," said Populous senior principal Jonathan Mallie

"The theatre architecture creates a merger of the old and the new."

Renders show a covered arena sheltered by a swooping roof that recalls the form of a turtle's shell or a space ship.

Multiple stories are visible behind curved glass walls and an exterior deck projects from one end. Around the rim of the stadium roof, a wide band of screens forms a media facade.

Developer OverActive Media is the owner of global esport franchises including Toronto's teams: Toronto Ultra of the Call of Duty League and Toronto Defiant of the Overwatch League.

"It has always been our intention to develop a venue and hosting strategy and to build a facility that could not only serve as an iconic home for our two franchises but ultimately emerge as a global hub for major international esport events," said OverActive Media CEO Chris Overholt.

"We are already in active discussions to attract some of the biggest esport events in the world. This venue will redefine Toronto's event hosting opportunities in every way," he added.

Populous has designed stadiums such as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which can host both Premier league football matches and American football games, and the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Upcoming projects from the design firm include a stadium in Strasburg made out of decommissioned aircraft fuselage, and spherical venues for London and Las Vegas.

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Architecture studio Populous is set to reuse the fuselages from 30 Airbus A340 aircraft as sunshades for an expanded stand at football club RC Strasbourg's stadium in France.

Populous will revamp the entire Stade de la Meinau, which is home to French top-tier football team Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, increasing its capacity from 26,282 to 32,000.

The south stand will be enlarged to add more seats and two open areas overlooking the pitch described by the studio as "party decks".

Additional fan spaces including bars and hospitality lounges will be built within the stand centred around a glass-fronted five-storey atrium, which will be covered in louvres for shade.

In a move described by Populous as a world's first, these sunshades will be constructed from the fuselages of retired Airbus A340 aircraft.

"As part of our environmentally sustainable approach to the redevelopment, we have sought to do things in a different way: it is the first project to use upcycled aircraft parts at this scale – using 30 different aircraft fuselages," François Clément, senior principal at Populous told Dezeen.

In total, 4,000 square metres of fixed facade sunshade will be made from the Airbus A340 fuselages, which are being sourced from an aeroplane maintenance company.

The aluminium sunshades will be aligned vertically on the stand's facade to filter light entering the atrium. Each one will be 30-metres long and 2.5-metres wide and constructed from three sections taken from the top half of the aircraft's fuselage.

"We have always been intrigued by the massive American aircraft graveyards and the geometrical juxtaposition of all these planes," said Clément.

"There is something sculptural in their alignments and the dimension and proportion of La Meinau's south grandstand gave us the opportunity to play with the scale of these fuselages," he continued.

"Throughout the day the tilted fuselages will act as a sunshade, reducing the energy gain but letting a soft indirect light penetrate the stand."

Along with the south stand, Populous will also modernise the rest of the stadium, enclosing the concourses of the north, east and west stands to connect them and create spaces for food and drink concessions.

"Strasbourg is one of the French football strongholds and Racing club de Strasbourg Alsace would have their stadium nearly always sold out for every game, so the core idea was to maintain the atmosphere while providing better facilities without increasing the ticket price for fans," added Clément.

Work is set to start on the renovation of RC Strasbourg's stadium in May 2022 and be completed by July 2025.

Stadium architect Populous has designed numerous sports facilities in countries all around the world. It designed the stadium for fellow top-tier French football team Olympique Lyonnais and has created the masterplan for Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

It recently completed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London, which features a retractable pitch, and is working on  a spherical arena in the same city.

Renders by Luxigon, Populous and Rey de Crecy.

Project team:

Project lead and lead architect: Populous
Local architect: Atelier d'architecture Rey De Crecy
Engineering: OTE ingénierie
Sustainable development: Otelio
Facade consultant: Maffeis Engineering
Quantity surveyor & site scheduling and management: C2Bi
Acoustics: Vanguardia
Sports lighting: ME Engineers
Security & safety: Cronos Conseil

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The Italian government is planning to add a retractable floor to the Colosseum amphitheatre in Rome so that performances can be held within the arena.

Under the plans developed by the Colosseum Archaeological Park and Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, the arena's long-disintegrated floor will be reinstated.

"The reconstruction of the Colosseum arena is a great idea which travelled around the world," said minister for cultural heritage and activities and tourism Dario Franceschini in a statement.

"It will be a great technological intervention which will give visitors the chance not only to see the basements but to admire the beauty of the Colosseum from the centre of the arena."

"Goal is to make the surface of the Colosseum arena floor usable again"

The Italian government is looking for a design team to create a retractable floor that will be placed in the centre of the arena above the hypogeum – an area under the arena's wooden floor.

At the Colosseum, the elaborate two-storey hypogeum, which contained eighty lifts to bring animals and gladiators directly into the arena, has been exposed since the wooden floor decayed.

The current plans will see a retractable floor installed above the hypogeum so that this area can still be seen, but can be covered so that it is protected from bad weather and can be used for performances.

"The goal is to make the surface of the Colosseum arena floor usable again and to identify a compatible and reversible technological solution for covering the underground spaces," explained a statement from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.

"The interventions must be designed in such a way as to simultaneously offer the perception of the level of the arena on which the games took place and the vision of the complex system of underlying structures and mechanisms."

Retractable floor to be installed by 2023

Set to be built by 2023, the retractable floor will include a series of lifts to connect the underground area with the arena floor and is expected to cost 18.5 million euros. Design teams have until February 1 to submit bids.

"The new arena will have to be conceived as a unitary floor, with a high technological content, consisting of mechanised opening and closing devices, allowing visitors to understand the synergy and the close relationship with the underground, also using systems that refer to the mechanisms of the lifts and of ancient mobile scenes," continued the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.

Completed in 80AD, the Colosseum could hold between 50,000 to 80,000 people and was used for gladiatorial contests during the Roman Empire.

Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the arena fell into disrepair but remains one of the most recognisable symbols of Ancients Rome. It is one of the most visited attractions in Rome with around seven million tourists visiting annually.

Main image is by Nicholas Hartmann via Wikimedia Commons.

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Swiss studios MLZD and Sollberger Bögli Architects have completed Stade de la Tuilière stadium in the city of Lausanne, which is defined by its rectangular form and cutback corners.

Built for Football Club Lausanne-Sport, the 12,500-seat stadium has a distinctive form generated by the decision to remove the building's corners creating four angular overhangs.

"We aimed to profit through omission: cutting off the corners of the stadium became the creative, organisational and structural core of the design," said MLZD and Sollberger Bögli Architects.

"This emotionalises the building and thus becoming the expression of an emotional game," the studios told Dezeen.

The overhanging corners have a practical purpose of allowing spectators to circulate around the stadium, which was built on a confined site, and provide shelter to the entrances.

They also clearly demonstrate the building's purpose, build excitement about upcoming matches and help give an identity to Football Club Lausanne-Sport.

"A stadium should indicate its function from the outside – it should make you look forward to the experience inside," said the studios.

"We built a lot of models during the competition phase. The cut corners turned the functional box into an emotional bowl," they continued.

"The longer we developed these corners, the more functional advantages we discovered: they became important in terms of urban planning, organisation and statics."

While the undersides of the concrete stands and the structural steel and concrete frame of the stadium are exposed on three sides, the fourth stand is enclosed by a filigree glass skin.

This main stand contains the cloakrooms, press and VIP areas and views of the city of Lausanne.

Within the stadium, MLZD and Sollberger Bögli Architects aimed to design a building that did not distract supporters from watching the match.

The stands were built with the steepest gradient allowed within regulations to place supporters as close as possible to the action and roof was engineered to maximise noise within the stadium, while reducing the noise that escapes to the surrounding neighbourhood.

"All power to the game! The architecture serves this purpose and steps back as much as possible: calm horizontal lines, no optical distraction," said the studios.

"The planning of the atmosphere was also important: with the maximum steep incline of the grandstand, the spectators will be as close to the action as possible," they continued.

"Much attention was also paid to the acoustical geometry of the roof – reflecting loud to the inside and silent towards the urban surrounding."

Overall the architecture studios believe that the entire design is practical and supports the enjoyment of the sport taking place within the stadium.

"It is more a 'stadium' instead of an 'arena'," said the studios. "Rather than being glamorous everything is very pragmatic and direct: the architectural gesture, as well as the internal organisation and the materials."

"Everything relies on the power of sport as the main protagonist."

Other recently completed stadiums on Dezeen include the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center in China, which is modelled on the shape of a lotus flower, and a football stand that references the work of Mies van der Rohe in Travettore di Rosà, Italy.

Photography is by Ariel Huber.

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The Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, which will host games on an artificially cooled pitch during the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has officially opened exactly two years before the football tournament begins.

Known as the gateway to the desert, the 40,000-seat stadium on the western edge of the Doha metropolitan area was designed by UK architecture studio Pattern Design.

The stadium, which will host seven matches during the tournament in 2022, was inaugurated on the 18 December by hosting the final of the Amir Cup.

It is the fourth stadium to be completed ahead of the World Cup, following the Education City Stadium designed by Pattern Design and Fenwick-Iribarren Architects; the Al Wakrah Stadium designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and the Khalifa International stadium.

Built on the edge of the desert, the stadium acts as a landmark for those arriving or leaving the city and was informed by its location.

"It acts as a literal marker along the Durkan highways as you move into the desert of Qatar," said Pattern Design associate director Luke Harrison.

"It is the last marker of your exit and return to or from the desert," he told Dezeen.

Around the stadium are numerous curved concession stands that take their forms directly from the sand dunes in the adjacent desert.

"The desert acted as the inspiration of the form for the stadium external concessions, envisaged as dunes," explained Harrison.

"The local culture celebrates the desert and escapes from the city to the desert to relax on the weekend. We have aimed to capture this with external sheltered concourse areas within the dunes, that are perfect for use during the winter months of the World Cup."

The stadium is wrapped in multimedia screens, which are covered in a metal screen that is made up of numerous forms found in Qatari architecture.

"The facade is a reimagining of traditional Qatari facade decoration, called Naqsh," said Harrison. "Each pattern is rooted in the heritage of Qatari and can be found on the houses of craftsmen and tradesman across of Doha," he continued.

"By evolving the tradition of Qatari patterning, the facade utilises the idea of smoothly transitioning patterns from the traditional motifs into new variations that connect each pattern."

Within the stadium, both the 40,000 spectators and the players will be artificially cooled to create what the architecture studio terms an "open air-cooled venue". The pitch is cooled by with air from the sides of the pitch, while each seat is cooled by either from below or above.

"These localised micro-climates ensure that all the relevant spaces are cooled without the need to cool the entire stadium volume," added Harrison.

Following the World Cup, around 20,00 seats in the upper bowl will be removed to reduce the capacity of the stadium, with the seats being reused in another venue.

The stadium will become the long-term home for football team Al Rayyan SC.

Project credits:

Architect, master planner and lead designer: Pattern Design
Interior designer: KSS
MEP engineering, fire, acoustics, building physics: Hoare Lea
Structural engineering (steel) and roof design: Schlaich Bergermann Partner
Structural Engineering (concrete): Matejko & Wesoły Biuro
Crowd flow analysis: Momentum Transport Consultancy
Food, beverage and waste: Tricon Foodservice Consultants
Security: D J Goode & Associates

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Barcelona studio ON-A has envisioned a 26-hectare park in the city that would rise up to cover FC Barcelona football stadium to the west.

Named Nou Parc, as a direct reference to the Nou Camp stadium's name, the forested park would cover the venue along with the surrounding car parks and other smaller sports venues.

ON-A created the proposal to demonstrate how large areas of parkland could be introduced into cities.

"Nou Parc is a project that encourages showing how cities could be renatured without losing building space; a win-win between the private and the public," explained ON-A Architecture founders Jordi Fernández and Eduardo Gutiérrez.

"The main goal is renaturalising the city of Barcelona and then extending this model to other communities," they told Dezeen.

The park would be elevated to cover FC Barcelona's stadium, which was completed in 1957 and is currently the largest football stadium in Europe, with only the space above the pitch left open to the sky.

The elevated topography would also cover the club's nearby shops as well as an indoor sports arena, ice rink, second stadium and practice pitches.

ON-A Architecture proposes that all these buildings would continue to function underneath the forested park

"Our proposal is to define a new model of convivence between humans and nature," said Fernández and Gutiérrez.

According to the studio, the fenced area that contains FC Barcelona's facilities currently only has eight per cent green space, with buildings and sports areas occupying 42 per cent of the area and 50 per cent of the space covered by hard pavement.

The proposal would open this area up to the public and greatly increase the amount of green space in the city.

"Nou Camp is a large area in the middle of the city that could connect two neighbourhoods through a green park," Fernández and Eduardo Gutiérrez said.

"That would approach us to the target of nine square metres of green area per inhabitant suggested by the World Health Organisation," they added. "Currently, Barcelona has just over six square metres per inhabitant."

"In the city of Barcelona, our hometown, there are few spaces where you can carry out a project like this."

To reduce the park's water consumption ON-A would create two lakes that would collect rainwater, which would be reused to water the trees and plants.

"We are aware that cities must be re-naturalised, and that green provides unquestionable benefits for health, but the issue is not only green, the debate revolves around blue as well: the water," said Fernández.

"We cannot be green if that implies an excessive use of resources," he continued. "The technology for the control of water consumption has come a long way and allows us to innovate and optimise green areas in urban spaces."

"We have been betting on these systems for years, but research in this sector should be further promoted."

ON-A do not expect Nou Parc to be built as the Nou Camp stadium is set to be redeveloped by Tokyo-based architecture firm Nikken Sekkei and Barcelona studio Pascual i Ausió Arquitectes.

"At this moment there is an approved project over the area, therefore our proposal is just a wake-up call on the need of having more green places in the city," said Fernández and Gutiérrez.

Other recent projects that involve greening stadiums include Italian architect Angelo Renna proposal to create a public memorial for those that lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic by planting 35,000 cypress trees in Milan's San Siro stadium.

While last year Swiss art curator Klaus Littmann planted 300 trees in an Austrian football stadium as a "memorial" to the environment.

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Plant-filled terraces, a translucent roof and palatial columns adorn the Xi'an International Football Centre stadium that Zaha Hadid Architects is developing for central China.

Set to be built in the Fengdong business district of Xi'an, one of China's oldest cities, the stadium will contain 60,000 seats and become a venue for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Once complete, Xi'an International Football Centre will incorporate a mix of public dining and entertainment facilities and also be used to host other national, international and domestic league games, alongside training academies, performances and cultural events.

Zaha Hadid Architects described this as a "legacy mode of operations" that will ensure the stadium can continue to serve the city long after the 2023 tournament.

"Xi'an has a long history of welcoming visitors from around the world," explained Zaha Hadid Architects. "In the global arena of football, the Xi'an International Football Centre continues this tradition and builds a lasting legacy of new civic spaces, sports and recreational facilities for the city," it said.

"Integrated within the orthogonal urban grid of Fengdong's business district, the stadium's open facades invite the city into the heart of the building to enjoy its public spaces, recreation and dining facilities throughout the day."

The planted balconies of Xi'an International Football Centre, referred to by Zaha Hadid Architects as "garden terraces", will be built along the stadium's south-facing elevation.

Sheltered by the overhanging rooftop, these are intended to provide shade from Xi'an's hot summer climate. They will also host service areas for visitors and viewpoints of Qing Mountain.

The remainder of the stadium's facade will be composed of giant columns and cladding with "sweeping lines" that Zaha Hadid Architects claim will help dissipate northerly winds.

Teamed with the building's sinuous, overhanging rooftop and south-facing terraces, this cladding is also intended to enhance the building's fluid form.

Inside, Xi'an International Football Centre's will have a distinctive saddle-shaped seating area, developed by Zaha Hadid Architects to maximise views of the pitch from all 60,000 seats.

"Digital modelling has defined the geometry of the spectators' seating bowl to optimise proximity and views to the field of play from all 60,000 seats, generating the most exciting atmosphere for football and ensuring an outstanding match experience for all players and spectators," explained the studio.

All seating will be sheltered by the translucent roof that will be open at its centre, which was designed to ensure there is plenty of natural light and encourage the growth of the grass on the pitch.

The large roof span will be achieved using a lightweight, tensile cable-net structure, which will help reduce its load, material footprint, and in turn, the amount of primary structure required to support it.

Zaha Hadid Architects was founded in 1980 by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Today it is headed up by Patrik Schumacher and its main office is in Clerkenwell, London.

Elsewhere in China, the studio is currently developing the OPPO Shenzhen headquarters and the "greenest building" in Shanghai for renewable energy firm CECEP.

The design of Xi'an International Football Centre follows the development of the studio's 5,000-seat football stadium for Forest Green Rovers that will be built entirely from wood.

Visuals are by Atchain.

Project credits

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
Design: Patrik Schumacher
ZHA project directors: Charles Walker, Nils Fischer
ZHA project associate: Jakub Klaska, Lei Zheng
ZHA project team: Shajay Bhooshan, Vishu Bhooshan, Jianfei Chu, Chun-Yen Chen, Hung-Da Chien, Marina Dimopoulou, Cesar Fragachan, Michael Forward, Matthew Gabe, Stratis Georgiou, Charles Harris, Yen-fen Huang, Han Hsun Hsieh, Yihoon Kim, Henry Louth, Martha Masli, Mauro Sabiu, Xin Swift, Adeliia Papulzan and Pablo Agustin Vivas
Partner architect: Intelligent Design for Emerging Architecture (iDEA)
iDEA project director: Yan Gao
iDEA project team: Jianyou Yang, Bin Wu, Fiona Huang, Jingshan Zhong, Shishang Deng, Qiongli Lu, Ting Liu, Xinyu Kou, Daria Morkovkina andHaixia Zhang
Structural engineering: Qiang Chang
Local design institute: Arcplus Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design & Research
Sports consultant: Clive John Lewis
Lighting: Lichtvision Design

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Italian architect Angelo Renna has suggested planting 35,000 cypress trees in Milan's San Siro stadium to turn it into a public memorial for those that lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

Renna made the proposal to save the iconic San Siro stadium, which has been home to Italian football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan since 1926, from demolition and create an appropriate memorial to the pandemic.

"The main idea is to save the legendary San Siro stadium from demolition, converting the entire structure into a place of commemoration in memory of the victims of Covid-19," Renna told Dezeen.

"Almost 35,000 people have lost their lives in Italy during the past five months during the coronavirus pandemic and Milan has been one of the main epicentres," he continued.

"My hope is to create a spiritual and sacred place in which people will able to reconnect with their beloved ones."

Designed by architect Ulisse StacchiniIt and extensively remodelled for the 1990 World Cup by Ragazzi and Partners, the San Siro is one of the world's best-known stadiums. In an interview with Dezeen, designer Fabio Novembre described it as "probably the most well-known place in Milan".

However, the clubs are planning to demolish the stadium and build a new venue nearby. Renna designed his proposal to give the building a "second life".

"My proposal involves the transformation of the existing stadium into something completely different from its current use so that we can give this place a new identity – a second life," said Renna.

"Maintaining the body by modifying its use. It may seem like a contrasting choice, but I personally see it more as an opportunity to create something unique and special for those people who have lost their beloved ones."

To create the memorial Renna proposed removing the stadium's roof and taking out the seating, before covering the stands with the earth into which 35,000 cypress trees would be planted – around one for each death in Italy.

Large holes would be cut through the stadium's stands to create new public routes to a central grassed area.

Renna chose cypress trees as they are local to the Mediterranean, are often found in cemeteries and can support a large variety of wildlife.

"The cypress is a common ornamental tree cultivated for millennia throughout the whole Mediterranean region," Renna explained.

"The dark green vertical shape of these trees is a highly characteristic signature of cemeteries and sacred spaces, like a symbol of immortality, emblem of life after death," he continued.

"The cypress is also a tree that thanks to its intricate and thick crown provide habitat for many birds, dormice, squirrels, lizards, and many other animals"

Although the proposal is speculative, Renna believes that it would be structurally possible, due to the strength of the concrete stands, and financially viable to realise it.

"Absolutely it is possible," he said. "Especially if you consider that the demolition of the existing stadium will cost apparently 70 million euros. They could use the money designed for the demolition to realise this proposal."

However convincing the clubs, which have already decided to demolish the stadium to adopt the idea could be a challenge, he admitted.

"The biggest challenge would be to convince the municipality and the two Milan teams to avoid the demolition of such historical and symbolic place in favour of a transformation in something new and special," he added.

Numerous architects and designers are pondering how cities and buildings will operate in a post-pandemic world. Michelle Ogundehin outlined 11 ways the pandemic will impact the home, while trend forecaster Li Edelkoort said that the coronavirus offered "a blank page for a new beginning".

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Italian studio Didonè Comacchio Architects has built a football stand that references the work of Mies van der Rohe for the municipal stadium in Travettore di Rosà, Italy.

The architecture studio designed the shelter to cover 300 concrete seats alongside a stadium used by football team FCD Transvector in a village near Vicenza in the north of Italy.

Its design is a simple response to the brief of providing shelter for fans with unobscured views of the pitch.

"The idea was to create a sheltered area as free as possible from elements that could stop the view of the field so to guarantee the entire action of the game to the viewers," said Didonè Comacchio Architects co-founder Paolo Didonè.

"The design of the shelter was the natural evolution of the concept," he told Dezeen.

According to the studio, the form of the shelter was directly informed by the work of 20th century modernist architect Mies van der Rohe and in particular his design for the Neue National Gallery in Berlin.

"We are always inspired by the simplicity and rigorousness of Mies's architecture, especially the National Gallery which is, to us, a classic design," said Didonè.

Like Van der Rohe's Neue National Gallery, Didonè Comacchio Architects' stand is sheltered by a single horizontal steel element.

While at the gallery this is supported by a grid of slender steel columns, the football stand roof is placed on two rectangular concrete piers placed at right angles to each other.

"The shelter is based on a cantilevered structure which is a typical element for football stadiums," explained Didonè.

"Our main objective was to create a structure that could answer to the initial brief – covered area, good view of the field – in the best way possible."

The rectangular, 30.5 metres long and 10.5 metres wide, roof structure is a made from a grid of steel beams that form a coffered ceiling.

Lighting is contained between the beams and covered by a dark metal grid .

Didonè Comacchio Architects is an Italian architecture studio founded by Didonè and Devvy Comacchio in 2013.

German-American architect Van der Rode was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century and was also the third and final Bauhaus director. He coined numerous phrases, including "less is more" and "God is in the details", and designed the iconic Barcelona Pavilion.

Photography is by Simone Bossi.

Project credits:

Designer: Didonè Comacchio Architects – Paolo Didonè, Devvy Comacchio
Collaborators: Gianmarco Miolo, Denis Stoppiglia, Lorenzo Fravezz
Structural engineer: Ing Stefano Scomazzon (i+da)
Concrete structure contractor: Impresa edile F.lli Bizzotto
Steel structure contractor: Lorenzin

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Dutch architecture studio OMA and landscape architect LOLA have revealed the updated design for the 63,000-seater Feyenoord Stadium, which will be the largest stadium in the Netherlands.

The stadium, which will become the new home for top-tier Dutch football club Feyenoord, will be located alongside the Nieuwe Maas river as part of OMA's masterplan for the redevelopment of Rotterdam Zuid.

Working with landscape architect LOLA, the Rotterdam-based architecture studio designed the stadium to be integrated into the redeveloped neighbourhood. The principle way in which this will be achieved is by raising up the stadium's concourse and making it a publicly accessible area.

"The core of the design is the stadium's central position in Rotterdam Zuid, and its relationship with the river Nieuwe Maas," explained OMA's managing partner David Gianotten.

"By lifting up the public domain of the stadium, we have created a new balcony over the river, on which the new stadium takes its iconic position," he told Dezeen.

OMA first released images of the stadium in 2018 and has been refining the design in discussion with contractors and the club since.

One of the key changes was the relocation of the stadium's food stands from inside the stadium to the public areas surrounding it,  to reinforce the integration into the new development and encourage use on non-match days.

"Part of the effort is the placement of food and beverage spaces, which were at first part of the building, on the stadium’s public concourse and to the side of the park, in order to create a fan zone and a 24/7 food and beverage facility that also functions optimally during non-match days," said Gianotten.

Feyenoord Stadium will be built to replace the club's current 1930s stadium, which is known as De Kuip, or the tub. OMA have tried to integrate both the form and feeling of the historic stadium into its new design.

"When completed in the 1930s, De Kuip set new standards for stadium design," said Gianotten. "Even today, people still praise De Kuip for its intense atmosphere."

"In the design of the new Feyenoord Stadium, we tried to create all possibilities to maintain such atmosphere," he continued. "As a result, we worked again with an oval shape. You can see resemblance to De Kuip from the outside of the new stadium integrated with the steel diagrid, which carries the two upper tiers of the stadium."

The stadium itself will be a complete bowl, mirroring De Kuip, with 12 concrete cores supporting a diagram steel structure that holds up the roof and the stands. Inside, all of the seats within the three-tier stands will have uninterrupted views of the pitch.

"It is a robust architecture that references the workers' mentality of Rotterdam," explained Gianotten.

"At the same time, its state of the art design offers Feyenoord supporters the best possible view of the pitch," he continued.

"Its oval bowl shape and tier design that places spectators as close to the pitch as possible ensure that players are surrounded by a sea of supporters, while not being interrupted. This leads to the most intense atmosphere in matches, which Feyenoord is so well-known for."

Feyenoord Stadium will be the first stadium built by OMA, and Gianotten believes its main contribution to the future of stadium design is the way the building relates to the city.

"As a practice, we are consistent in searching for new possibilities in form, program, materiality, and work process. Such explorations allow us to bring new definitions to architectural typologies," he said.

"In this case, our experimentation with the existing stadium typology has led to a stadium that also functions as a public space for daily usage, and it becomes a key destination within the city at all times. This is arguably a new kind of stadium that could inform future design."

OMA is a Dutch architecture studio founded in 1975 by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. It is currently designing a garden bridge in Washington DC, a rural culture complex for Melbourne's outskirts and a "cliff-like" headquarters for SNCB in Brussels.

Renderings are by Beauty and The Bitunless stated.

Project credits:

Architect: OMA
Project management: Projectbureau Feyenoord City
Landscape architect: LOLA
Cost consultant: IGG
Structure and MEP consultant: Royal Haskoning DHV Acoustics: Event Acoustics, Peutz
Stadium advise: The Stadium Consultancy
Fire safety: DGMR
Lighting: Philips Lighting
Vertical transport: Techniplan
Facades: TGM
Crowd control simulation: InControl

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Fenwick-Iribarren Architects and Pattern Design have unveiled the Education City Stadium near Doha, which is the third and largest of the venues for the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be completed so far.

Nicknamed the "Diamond in the Desert" due to its distinctive cladding, the 45,350-seater stadium is one of eight venues that will host matches during the football tournament, which is due to take place in the Middle Eastern country in 2022.

Education City Stadium is the third venue that has been completed for the event, following the upgrade of the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha and the opening of the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Designed London-based Pattern Design to a concept created by Spanish studio Fenwick-Iribarren Architects, the venue is located to the west of Doha in the Education City university district, which gives the building its name.

Its facade is made from a tessellating triangular pattern that takes its form from Arabic architecture and is designed to deflect the country's strong sunlight. The facade can be lit up at night.

"The facade of the stadium features triangles that form complex, diamond-like geometrical patterns which appear to change colour with the sun's movement across the sky," explained the Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

"Like diamonds, the stadium's design represents quality, durability and resilience – and will become something to be treasured, both for the memories it holds and its future value to the country."

The stadium has been awarded a five star rating for sustainability from the the Global Sustainability Assessment System.

It is located near the Doha Metro, for direct access to public transport, utilises LED sports lighting, low toxicity indoor materials and was built from 29 per cent recycled materials. In total 85 per cent of materials were sourced regionally.

Following the World Cup the stadium will be converted into a sporting and athletics hub for the surrounding universities and local community.

The modular upper tier of seating will be removed to reduce the stadium's capacity to 20,000, and parts of the building will be converted into classrooms and event spaces for use by the universities.

Madrid-based Fenwick-Iribarren Architects was established in 1990 by Mark Fenwick and Javier Iribarren. The architecture studio is also designing the Ras Abu Aboud stadium  to host games at the Qatar World Cup, which will be built from modified shipping containers.

The final of the tournament will take place in the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium designed by Foster + Partners, which will be located nine miles north of central Doha.

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