Construction complete on Korea’s Incheon Stadium

The celebration to mark the official end of construction on Incheon Asian Games Stadium, the main stadium for the 2014 Asian Games has been held in Incheon, South Korea.

The main venue for the 17th Asian games was designed by Populous in association with local firm Heerim Architects and Planners and illustrates a new level of sustainable design in stadia in Asia.

Officially known as the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, the multipurpose stadium will hold in excess of 61,000 people during the Games, before reducing to a single-sided grandstand for 30,000 afterwards as a People’s Park for the city of Incheon.

Commenting on the design, Populous Senior Principal Andrew James explained “we wanted to take a fresh look at the way we treat adaptable stadia in Incheon.

“Rather than considering how we could shrink a 60,000 seat stadium, we turned the idea on its head and thought let’s build a 30,000 seat stadium and add 30,000 temporary seats.”

According to James, this approach provided multiple advantages.

“Financially it reduced the building by two thirds meaning there are substantial savings in operational and maintenance costs. Secondly, it meant the permanent seats could be sited in the optimal position for these sports, in this instance, in the West stand.

“But the biggest advantage in the design is the freedom it provided in terms of legacy. The plans were always based on a community park, which after the Games, will replace the Eastern stand, forming a traditional stadium hill, with plazas on the north and south ends, providing atmospheric spectator viewing during a match, and a green space for the public to enjoy at all other times.

“If the social legacy is achieved in the way it was originally planned, I think the world will sit up and notice that Korea is leading the way in delivering a sports’ project with a real defined legacy.”

The 2014 Asian Games commence on 19th September.

Click here to visit the Populous website.

Click here to visit the 2014 Asian Games website.

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27th April 2009 - POPULOUS WINS INCHEON STADIUM DESIGN FOR 2014 ASIAN GAMES