Final 4 Most Attractive Sports Facilities Stadiums
In our last blog, Sports Facilities Advisory took you the bustling metropolis of Shanghai to the solar system of Sweden to the intimidating forests of Belarus. Sit back and prepare for a few more trips around the globe as we continue the second part of our two-part series with four of the most exquisite sports facilities and stadiums across the globe. From Champions League soccer to Olympic ceremonies to the pools that witnessed Michael Phelps breaking eight Olympic records, these sports facilities have hosted some of the most amazing events in sports history. Let’s find out why they were chosen to do so.
Beijing National Aquatics Center
Built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this center is known as the water cube because the rectangular building not only hosts swimming events but also looks like water on the outside. A partnership between Chinese and Australian architects collaborated on the project. The Sidney firm came up with an exterior designed to look like bubbles, while the Chinese firm chose the iconic and traditional cube-like style. A crowd of 17,000 spectators watched as countries from around the globe broke 25 world records in 2008.
FNB Stadium
Of all the sports facilities on our list, this is the only one in the southern hemisphere. Before hosting the 2010 World Cup final, this stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, needed reconstruction. The original opened in 1989 didn’t have enough seats. Wanting to keep a certain African flair while incorporating a European-style feel, the design focused on a dome-style stadium. The 95,000 seat stadium looks replicates the look of an earthen African pot, known as a calabash, over an open fire. With earth tones and a hypnotic glow, this stadium perfectly balanced the disparate cultures within South Africa.
Allianz Arena
Host to one of the giants of world football, the Allianz Arena reimagines the classic dome of European soccer stadiums with inflatable foil paneling. Nicknamed the inflatable boat, this stadium seats more than 70,000 guests and regularly changes colors. The panels stay inflated at all times. The foil exterior, though see-through, illuminate individually with either blue, red, or white light. On a clear night, the stadium can be seen from the Austrian Alps roughly 50 miles away.
Beijing National Stadium
Another architectural triumph of the 2008 Olympics, the Beijing National Stadium hosted the Olympic ceremony. Designed in collaboration with Ai Weiwei, a renowned artist and activist, the stadium replicates a bird’s nest. The patchwork look of the exterior resembles a nest and was originally designed to support a retractable roof. Even after the plans to add the roof fell through, the architectural firm kept the crisscrossed steel design.
Sports Facilities & Sports Complex Design
Whether you need commercial sports facilities or a local recreation center, Sports Facilities Advisory knows how to get the job done. We support you with our expert sports complex design and heavily researched feasibility studies. This ensures you get the most out of your sports complexes. For more information on our services, contact Sports Facilities Advisory today.
