Construction begins on SIP Sports Centre in Chinese city of Suzhou

Construction work on the SIP Sports Centre has started in the Chinese city of Suzhou.

The multifunctional sports park combines sports facilities for large events, leisure and cultural facilities, as well as shopping and hotel functions in a publicly accessible park landscape.

Designed by architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, has been scheduled for completion in 2017, the master plan presents a modern interpretation of the city’s traditional gardens, with an informally designed park landscape surrounding the new venues. The site opens out to the Xietang River to the south, with various sports grounds embedded in the landscape.

The sports park - which has been jointly developed by the city and district authorities – includes a 45,000-seater stadium, an indoor pool with 3,000 seats and a sports hall with 15,000 seats. The venue is surrounded by numerous residential quarters. With a range of functionality beyond just sporting events, the park has been designed to ensure a permanent and sustainable flow of visitors.

All three stadia are topped by undulating roofs, with the character of the three venues reinforced by a uniform façade design – the façades of both stadia and the podia are structured with horizontal lines which follow the shape of the buildings in elegant curves.

Owing to its size and clear span of 504 metres, the 45,000-seat stadium, with its covered stands, forms the focal point of the park.

The single-skin cable network roof construction with a membrane skin boasts a resource-saving, economical design, and an appearance its designers aim to be reminiscent of floating curved silk.

The indoor swimming pool, with an undulating roof shape created with a single-skin cable network construction, combines an elegant, floating appearance with great structural strength. In addition to the competition and training pools, the swimming hall includes a spa area, leisure pools and sports shops.

The roof of the covered 15,000-seater multipurpose hall, which is located to the north-east of the site, is supported by V-shaped columns. These provide a rhythm to the transparent glass façade of the hall, which is just as suitable for large international sports events as it is for concerts, exhibitions, and other events.

In addition to the three sports stadia, the site features a hotel and retail centre.

Suzhou, a city of 1.4 million people located to the west of Shanghai, is known for its canals, bridges and classical gardens. 

The sports centre is scheduled for completion in 2017.

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