ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo

Interview

Andrew James

China’s ambition to become a world football power is coming to fruition. Andrew James from Populous talks to Matthew Campelli about a new deal with Alisport which will turbocharge the nation’s infrastructure


Fifteen years ago, architecture studio Populous dipped its toe into the Chinese sports market to work on the design of the Nanjing Sports Park, which would go on to host the China National Games in 2005 and the IOC Youth Olympic Games in 2014.

The practice has had an interest in the vast nation ever since, designing structures such as Zhuhai’s International Tennis Centre.

Populous now finds itself at the centre of the Chinese government’s aggressive drive towards footballing dominance and may create the blueprint for the way football facilities are designed and renovated across the country.

In June this year, Populous signed a deal with Alisports – the sports arm of Chinese global trade platform Alibaba – which has set its sights on operating “50,000 sports venues in China over the next 10 years” to build a connection with its 470 million subscribers.

As part of the deal Populous will consult on how to transform a number of ‘white elephant’ arenas into functioning stadiums, with a focus on fan engagement and experience. The studio is also keen to pick up several projects itself to speed up the nation’s desire to create a landscape of world-class sporting facilities.

Football superpower
Andrew James, Populous’ Asian and Australian director, is overseeing the strategic partnership, and he is certain about what’s driving China’s ambitions: “There is a lot of money going into China’s football Super League,” he says. “There’s no doubt it will rise rapidly over the next five years – when the Chinese decide to do something, they don’t hold back, they really do it.”

China has been unflinching in making clear its desire to become a world football superpower, with its domestic football teams spending millions on established foreign football stars and President Xi Jinping making the bold statement that he wants the nation to host – and then win – the FIFA World Cup.

While the government is driving the ambition, private companies such as Alisports are taking control, with an eye on the economic benefits a healthy football industry can bring.

“In a lot of Asian countries, not just China, government and large private businesses seem to work hand in glove,” says James. “Businesses will want to sit at the top table and they will help out on the policies the government wants to drive.”

Aside from relationships with the government, an organisation such as Alisports may see large public venues as a way to get their advertising message across or exploit sponsorship capabilities.

To emphasise the size of the market, James says that Guangzhou Evergrande – one of China’s most successful football clubs – regularly sells out its stadium despite the fact the pitch is surrounded by an athletics track and “people can hardly see”.

James adds: “There are so many areas they can professionalise the sport, in terms of the venues, and commercialisation. Right now money is being spent on recruiting the best players, but I expect money to be spent on coaches, and then clubs will start to be thinking about their venues and their training centres.”

According to James, there are around 100,000 sporting venues in China, with a number of them not being used at all. He expects that “99 per cent of the work” will come from renovating existing stadiums, although there has been an opportunity to design one or two venues from scratch.

One of the few big arenas that has had a “legacy project” benefiting the community is the Populous-designed Nanjing Sports Park, where local people regularly use the football, swimming and ice rink facilities – a factor which helped Populous win the deal.

Populous have already won stadium renovation commissions from two clients in the industrial north of China who want their football teams to represent the communities which surround the stadiums – in the mould of Manchester United or Liverpool. They’re also working on a number of training facilities and have the aim of being involved in 10 projects in “each of the major cities” over the next five years.

Creating experience and demand
However, there are a number of challenges working in the Chinese market. While in ‘Western cultures’ decisions about stadiums and training centres are usually taken by committee, in China “decisions are still generally made by just one person”.

This, says James, has contributed to a focus on the “iconic qualities” of stadiums, instead of their fan engagement and experience capabilities.

“Everyone wants a Wembley,” he explains. “Not many people want that low-profile stadium that sits quietly and fits in with its neighbours. Not yet.

“We’re not monument builders; we focus on the experiential side of design, so lots of pictures of people with smiling faces really gets us going.”

James also highlights a need to shift mentality in terms of stadium size and the overall functions of a stadium. In a country as heavily populated as China (1.4bn and counting), it’s tempting to build 120,000-capacity stadiums, whereas James is keen to recommend an upper limit of 60,000 to keep experiences high quality and sustainable and also to drive up demand.

Community hub
“You have to offer a great experience, particularly if you’re a football club,” explains James. “People will come back week after week. Every seat has to be great. Above 60,000 seats you have infrastructure issues to deal with. Also, if not everyone can get a ticket then that raises demand and will be good for the bottom line.”

China’s emphasis on multi-use stadiums, with athletics tracks around the pitch, was something which had to be eradicated to create a better experience and commercial opportunities. Although, James believes community-focused training centres could be even more lucrative than stadiums.

China has laid out plans to build 70,000 training centres by 2030 to create a thriving grassroots football landscape, as well as a technically proficient elite level game. These centres, says James, have the opportunity to become hubs for their respective communities, with educational facilities such as schools and universities, as well as medical facilities. “We see more opportunities for training facilities to become commercial, profitable centres in the long-term than the main sport stadiums,” he explains.

The bigger picture
Aside from the development of facilities for football, James sees opportunities to design entertainment arenas and for Populous to expand its tennis stadium portfolio. But the ‘beautiful game’ is undoubtedly where it’s all happening for China, says James, and Populous is now in a good position to set the agenda.

“We’ve always known China would happen one day,” he explains. “It’s a fantastic market for us because we can speak the language we’ve been speaking in Europe for the last decade or two and because we already have a reputation there.”

Gallery
Click on an image to open the image gallery
company profile
Company profile: Willmott Dixon
Willmott Dixon delivers the social infrastructure that people depend on in their daily lives. We partner with our customers to focus on the services they want to provide, not just the building we construct, and we are committed to achieving a higher social purpose through our work.
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
Jeyran Aliyeva is one of the most successful volleyball players on the Azerbaijani national team. She is an ambassador for the European Games and features in the marketing campaign
"The land was previously occupied by an oil refinery so we installed isolation layers before laying the pitch"

Azerbaijan is investing in sport, tourism and architecture to turn itself into a global destination. We take a look at the newly opened Baku Olympic Stadium

The Berkeley recently unveiled its new RSHP-designed façade, which is part of a wider redesign of the hotel
Richard Rogers partner RSHP
"Leisure space is at the very root of democracy. We have to defend our public spaces"

On defending our public spaces

The venue will host a wide range of exhibitions and events
David Rockwell
"For me it’s about constantly recreating an environment in which you’re willing to not know the answer"

From Nobu Restaurants and Ian Schrager’s latest hotel to Imagination Playgrounds and the set design for The Rocky Horror Show, US architect and designer David Rockwell always keeps it fresh. He tells us the secrets of his creativity

Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
Interview: Dror Benshetrit and Di-Ann Eisnor
Dror Benshetrit and Di-Ann Eisnor will head up the team
"We will work to fuse nature, design, technology, and community in our cities in order to measurably improve the lives of citizens"

High profile design hirings for the We Company

Three raised white stone volumes will be constructed
Theoni Xanthi Partner XZA Architects
"The design concept is to create a museum that evokes a transition in time, in space, in memory"

The vision for the New Cyprus Musuem

Wellness kitchen
"I’ve used my own life as a living lab to study the hurdles from a busy career mom’s perspective"

Veronica Schreibeis Smith couldn’t find a kitchen which worked for her plant-based diet, so she invented the wellness kitchen

features
"Even brushing your teeth in the right space can elevate a daily routine into a ritual"

With a lap pool at the heart of the home, this property is a sanctuary for Rene Gonzalez

The Venice festival is one of the most important in the architectural calendar
"Freespace describes a generosity of spirit and a sense of humanity at the core of architecture’s agenda"

On the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale theme

The club features two studios for boxing, with a range of classes developed by George Foreman III
DMAC’s Dwayne MacEwen
"The hotel concept came late in the game, but it was an inspired idea"

The newly renovated Chicago Midtown Athletic Club features a boutique hotel, a pool-come-ice rink and spaces designed by Venus Williams

cladkit product news
Eden project uses drones to spell out climate change warning
Magali Robathan
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change ...
Alberto Apostoli designs tech-forward Wellness Therapy furniture collection for Varaschin
The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Megan Whitby
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto ...
Alberto Apostoli and Newform collaborate to launch the A.Zeta showerhead
The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Megan Whitby
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta ...
cladkit product news
Jaffe Holden helps bring Academy Museum of Motion Pictures alive
Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics for the Academy Museum
Magali Robathan
Acoustical consulting firm Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics and audio/video design services for the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion ...
Eco Resort Network conference to convene in Mauritius this May
The event will be hosted in the Mauritius in 2024
Megan Whitby
Hospitality industry event Eco Resort Network is set to take place at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Turtle Bay, Mauritius, from ...
Mather & Co and ITV unite to create Coronation Street Experience
Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers
Magali Robathan
Experience designers, Mather & Co, have orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a ...
cladkit product news
Koto Design introduces wood-fired hot tub
Koto is known for crafting modular, energy-neutral cabins and homes
Katie Barnes
A striking wood-fired hot tub has been unveiled by Koto, an architecture and design studio which has a passion for ...
Siminetti unveils iridescent decorative panelling range inspired by plants
The Clematis design
Megan Whitby
The Botanicals is Siminetti’s newest Mother of Pearl decorative panelling collection, inspired by the distinctive patterns found in botany and ...
Codelocks develops new glass door smart lock
The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Megan Whitby
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and ...
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo