Led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun and Yosuke Hayano, MAD Architects is an architectural design firm based in Beijing, China, having its offices in Los Angeles, New York City, and Rome.
The firm was hired to design a huge project located in Quzhou, china called Quzhou Sports Campus. Located in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, the project covers an area of 570,000 square meters, of which the total building area of the stadium complex and supporting facilities is 390,000 square meters.
The park includes a 30,000-person capacity stadium, a 10,000-person capacity gymnasium, an aquatic center, outdoor auxiliary training grounds, athlete service and experience center, Kids Park and a science & technology museum.
The internal dome of the gymnasium hides the design details inside the structure. The smooth roof comprises a concrete shell that spans 130 meters. The sports lighting is embedded into the ceiling structure, ensuring simple but complete look of the structure. In addition, the solid design of the gymnasium has taken on special considerations in regards to its auditory effects.
The design of the aquatic center sees each key function of the space as a hyper separate bubble. Three bubbles are combined and aligned on and the axis that runs through their center to create space and structure of the building. The perfect circular shape of the arena has minimized the cost of the structure. It is simple and pure in form, and eliminates the need to consider a new design logic for the interior.
“The buildings are embedded into the ground, whereby the facade disappears into the terrain, covered by greenery so that it becomes the landscape itself,” says the firm. “While contours engrave curves into the surface, some function as pedestrian walkways. Thus, the sloping facade naturally serves as a new place for citizens to engage in exercise, and offers the opportunity to ‘climb’ the architecture.”
The architect has beautifully blended architecture and nature which is prominent in the design of this project. The whole design of the project has been finalized and work for first phase is running in full swing expected to be completed by 2021. Upon its entire completion, “Quzhou Sports Campus” will become the world’s largest earth shelter building complex.
