RAS ABU ABOUD STADIUM
Location: Doha, Qatar
Tenants: (Temporary) 2022 FIFA World Cup
Opened: (Projected) 2020
While not technically completed at time of writing, the Ras Abu
Aboud Stadium is too important to miss off this list, as it is one of the
world’s most unique sporting venues and the first fully demountable
stadium in FIFA World Cup history. Built on the shores of the Arabian
Gulf, the 40,000-seat stadium will be wholly constructed using
shipping containers, removable seats and modular elements. It is
the first temporary stadia project of this scale and once the
tournament has concluded, each of its structures will be entirely
dismantled and repurposed for use in sporting and infrastructure
projects across the globe.
Its design was driven by a desire to serve the local community as
well as soften the ecological and economic impact of its construction
said Mark Fenwick, senior partner at Fenwick Iribarren Architects.
“We only used locally produced materials with a low carbon
footprint and are pioneering a new way that is both sustainable and
environmentally conscious for hosts and rights owners,” he explains.
Prefabricated elements have been used to reduce waste during
production while a lack of foundations and frills in the façade system
reduced expenditure in construction. This has minimized the build
time and cut the overall cost to half that of a permanent stadium
the same size.
As a result, the stadium design will not only reinforce Qatar’s
commitment to leave a physical legacy but also herald a new
approach to sustainable tournament infrastructure.
LONDON STADIUM
Location: London, UK
Capacity: 60,000 (soccer) 80,000 (concerts)
Tenants: UK Athletics, West Ham United
Opened: May 2012, renovated 2014-2016
Constructed for London’s successful Olympic Games bid in
2012, the US$624m stadium was a triumph for the city as
it was completed on time – within just 34 months – and
under budget by more than US$12.8m. The stadium was
designed as a sunken bowl built into the ground plane with
a cable-supported fabric roof membrane. The roof design
was driven by a need to allow the building to breathe
naturally with the minimum amount of fixed mechanical
systems. As a result, a porous, translucent printed fabric
was used, which at a span of 275ft (84m) is thought to be
the largest cantilevered roof of its kind in the world.
The former Olympic venue was renovated in 2014 at
a cost of US$351m to host its new permanent tenants
English Premier League soccer team West Ham United. It
was also shortlisted for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize
for excellence in architecture.
NATIONAL STADIUM
Location: Kallang, Singapore
Capacity: 55,000
Tenants: Singapore National FC, Singapore National Cricket Team, International Champions Cup
Opened: June 2014
Singapore’s National Stadium is the jewel in the crown of a US$1.3bn Sports Hub located on a 35-hectare
waterfront site at the eastern edge of Marina Bay. This vast complex is Asia’s first integrated sport,
leisure and lifestyle venue that includes an Olympic-sized aquatic centre, multi-purpose arena, sports
museum and shopping precinct.
The 55,000-seater stadium is cleverly air-cooled using natural ventilation and achieves a 60% reduction
in energy consumption when compared to a conventional cooled facility of the same size. The energy used
is offset by energy harnessed from renewable sources – making it a ‘zero carbon’ cooled stadium. The
facility also features a retractable roof that slides open like a blinking eye. With a span of more than
1,017ft (310m) it is also the largest free spanning dome structure in the world.
The stadium is built on an active social plinth comprised of built forms and landscaped elements at
a human scale to act as a counterpoint to the monumental measure of the stadium. It provides an integral
bridge to the community and injects life and vibrancy between the various facilities and event plazas
across the precinct.
20 BEST BUILDS
46 www.stadia-magazine.com Showcase 2020
/www.stadia-magazine.com
/www.stadia-magazine.com
