‘Stadium of Tomorrow’ could include permanent residential homes, says Populous
– Christopher Lee
Stadiums of the future may include permanent residential facilities and places of work if they adopt an innovative, community-focused vision put forward by Populous.
The architectural practice behind the Olympic Stadiums in Sydney and London has imagined the ‘Stadium of Tomorrow’ for the July issue of National Geographic magazine.
Part of the vision includes making stadiums “seven days a week, 365 days a year” venues, with residential and office facilities incorporated into them.
Talking to CLADglobal, Populous’ EMEA managing director Christopher Lee said the notion was eminently possible and one of the most “exciting” parts of the firm’s ‘Stadium of Tomorrow’ prospective.
He revealed that Populous was working on a UK-based sports project that included two hotels, a school with playground, an art gallery and a vegetable patch.
“We’re doing a number of stadiums at the moment that are in the early design stage, developing I guess, that we’re referring to as a ‘superblock’.
“The idea is that you can start creating these superblocks in the urban environment, leveraging the infrastructure of the stadium – whether that’s transport, energy creation, data infrastructure – and start plugging bits in and making it work 365 days a year, with people living in them and people working in them,” he said.
Populous recently unveiled a project it is working on with League One football club Southend United, where residential apartments and hotel rooms could be integrated into the stadium roofscape.
Lee said that incorporating all these parts into a stadium allowed clients to “sweat the assets”, particularly when building in locations with high land value.
The vision also puts ideas forward for improving the nature of multi-use stadiums.
According to Lee, multi-sports stadiums built in the mid-20th century were “a compromise for everyone”, but with new technology he said two or more sports coexisting in the same venue was possible without the compromise.
For example, employing an LED surface that could change texture for different sports – astroturf for American football, grass for soccer and wood for basketball – is one solution entertained.
Lee discussed the work he was doing on the soon-to-be-built Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which will be able to accommodate a number of NFL matches. The artificial NFL field has been constructed six feet beneath the natural soccer turf pitch, which slides under the stadium for NFL matches. Both surfaces have been built at the “perfect sightlines” for both sports.
Much of the sustainable practices put forward by the vision – including PVS on the roof, wind turbines and rainwater collection – are already in use in a number of stadiums, but Lee said he expected sustainability to drive projects even more.
To read the full article in National Geographic, click here.
Populous stadiumBeckham's Miami dream team steps closer to reality with stadium land deal
Populous complete new stand at the world's 'home of cricket'
Populous reveal what the future of eSports arenas looks like
FEATURE: CLAD people – Chris Lee, Managing Director, Populous
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
