Suzhou Olympic Sport Center

Suzhou is famous in China for its landscape design, and the master plan for this new sports park is based on this tradition. The design for the sports park – which is a joint development by the city and district authorities – includes a 45,000-seat stadium, an indoor pool with 3,000 seats, and a sports hall with 15,000 seats, and is surrounded by numerous residential quarters and a lively ambiance. All three stadiums are topped by conspicuous undulating roofs that make the ensemble into a landmark visible from afar.

Owing to its size and impressive clear span of 250 meters, the 45,000-seat stadium with its covered stands forms the focal point of the park. Its curved silhouette stands out from the urban environment, blending harmoniously with the landscape and the park at the Xietang River. The single-skin cable network roof construction with a membrane skin is not only remarkable for its resource-saving, economical design, but also has an almost suspended, gracious appearance reminiscent of floating curved silk. Likewise, the indoor swimming pool with seating for 3,000 spectators and the marked undulation of its 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 multi-purpose hall for 15,000 visitors located to the north-east of the site is supported by V-shaped columns.