slipped discs
d+a|Issue 131
Archi-Tectonics unveils an intersecting elliptical design for Hybrid Stadium to open the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Rebecca Lo
slipped discs

Cities have a love-hate relationship with international sporting events. On the plus side are the prestige the spectacle brings and the tourism dollars that its iconic stadiums draw. On the minus side is the infrastructure investment necessary for an extremely brief experience. Many municipal governments simply do not want to be saddled with white architectural elephants; they are not worth the newsfeed headliners.

Nevertheless, Chinese cities feel that world class sporting events can only be good: for its development, people and international cache. Over the past few decades, both the Olympics and Asian Games have been hosted by Chinese cities. Naturally, when Hangzhou welcomed international athletes in the fall of 2023, it needed its own version of the Birds' Nest. To that end, New York-based Archi-Tectonics won a 2018 competition to design the landmark stadium for the 2023 Asian Games.

green sponge

Ready to kick off the Games in September, the 35,000 sqm building is sited at the south end of a 47-hectare newly created eco park in the Gongshu district of Hangzhou. The capital of Zhejiang province has long been regarded as one of China's most beautiful cities, with an abundance of classic Chinese structures set against picturesque lakes.

Contemporary Hangzhou is known for its economic and e-commerce prowess, with many company headquarters including Alibaba interspersed within a population of 13 million. To accommodate its rapid development, much of the wetlands of the city’s outskirts have been replaced by skyscrapers. “The government took the opportunity of the Asian Games to create a new eco park as a green lung and exemplary implementation of the ‘sponge city’ concept (to retain, collect and filter rainwater for re-use in the stadium) for this fast developing neighbourhood,” explains Winka Dubbeldam, founding partner of Archi-Tectonics.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 131 من d+a.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 131 من d+a.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من D+A مشاهدة الكل
Tailored For The Curious Explorer
d+a

Tailored For The Curious Explorer

The new Alma House at the New Bahru enclave reflects the collaborative spirit of a school environment.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 134
Eco And Egalitarian
d+a

Eco And Egalitarian

Can a building represent a culture? Berrel Kräutler Architekten's sensitive renovation of the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore stimulates discourse.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 134
Building A Green Home
d+a

Building A Green Home

This semi-detached house by Zivy Architects explores passive tropical design, the delight in architecture and the issues of multi-generational living.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134
The Natural Balance
d+a

The Natural Balance

Inspired by the serene beauty of dewdrops, the Antao Collection by Villeroy & Boch transforms bathrooms into wellness sanctuaries, combining sustainability with timeless elegance.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
Inspiring Creativity And Exploration
d+a

Inspiring Creativity And Exploration

The new Hafary House at Lavender reflects the brand’s vibrancy and innovation, as well as provide an inspiring and engaging space for customers.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
Home Is Where The Heart Is
d+a

Home Is Where The Heart Is

A vacation house is reimagined for a multi-generational family to gather for holidays in the bucolic setting of Yongjia in Zhejiang, China.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134
balancing act: nature and humanity
d+a

balancing act: nature and humanity

In this inspiration-led series, we asked Jay Liu and Alex Liu, co-founders of Right Angle Studio, to dream up a unique interior concept using mainly items from Space Furniture.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 134
rethinking, remaking, reframing
d+a

rethinking, remaking, reframing

Aoki Akio, the founder of DESIGNART TOKYO discusses the importance and legacy of Tokyo's eminent art and design event, particularly for young creatives.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 134
rebuilding communities
d+a

rebuilding communities

Shift2024, the much-anticipated conference returns with a stellar line-up of prolific architects making their mark in Asian urban design.

time-read
7 mins  |
Issue 134
unparalleled italian craftsmanship
d+a

unparalleled italian craftsmanship

Filippo Arnaboldi, Chief Executive Officer of Frette, tells us how this luxury lifestyle Italian brand is moving forward with times yet not forgetting about its existing legacy.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 134