The highly anticipated Xi'an International Football Centre, a 60,000-seat stadium designed by the renowned UK-based Zaha Hadid Architects, has officially opened in central China and hosted its first matches. Commissioned by the Chinese Football Association, the stadium was inaugurated last month with a trio of under-23 matches in the Fengdong New City area of Xi'an.
The stadium's distinctive sinuous design was specifically informed by Xi'an's challenging climate conditions, including the city's harsh winters with chilling northern winds and intense summer heat. According to Zaha Hadid Architects, the structure rises prominently at the center of the main stands to maximize seating in the most favorable viewing positions around the midfield area alongside the pitch. The architects explained that "the stadium's sweeping geometries are defined to minimize the impacts of prevailing winds from the north that chill the city each winter."
The architectural firm emphasized the functional benefits of their innovative design approach. "The fluid forms of the roof shelter the saddle-shaped structure [that was] designed to maximize availability of spectator seating at midfield," the studio stated. The stadium features an ultra-lightweight long-span cable-net roof structure that generates minimal loads, significantly reducing embodied carbon by minimizing the materials required for the primary structure.
At the upper level, the stadium is encircled by a wide concourse that is protected by an expansive overhanging roof. These terraces step down the facade at the southern end of the stadium, creating a covered plaza-like area. The original plans showed these terraces covered with planting, though this vegetation has not yet been installed. The lightweight roof structure is supported by distinctive red concrete columns that punctuate the terraces throughout the complex.
The architects designed the stadium with Xi'an's continental climate specifically in mind. "Wide perimeter-roof overhangs shelter facilities within the building's envelope, while the large, shaded, open-air terraces and public concourses provide comfortable conditions in the hot summers of Xi'an's continental climate," the studio explained. Inside the stadium, spectators are protected by a translucent membrane cover that is hung from the structure of the main stands.
This innovative covering system serves multiple purposes beyond weather protection. "Supported by the tensioned cable-net structure, a translucent membrane over the seating bowl protects spectators from inclement weather and direct sunlight while also allowing maximum levels of natural light to reach the playing surface, promoting the growth of grass on the pitch to provide playing conditions of the highest standard," the architects detailed.
Zaha Hadid Architects, founded in 1979 by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and now led by Patrik Schumacher, continues to expand its presence in China with multiple major stadium projects. The Xi'an International Football Centre represents the latest in a series of ambitious Chinese stadium designs by the firm. The studio is currently working on several other significant projects in China, including a 60,000-seat stadium in Guangzhou that is nearing completion, and another 60,000-seat stadium planned for Hangzhou. These projects demonstrate the firm's ongoing commitment to creating innovative sports venues that respond to local climate conditions while pushing the boundaries of contemporary architectural design.
