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Stadium of the Year 2019

  • Popular Vote
  • Jury Vote

Popular Vote

In February and March of 2020 we hosted the 10th annual Stadium of the year competition. The Popular Vote enjoyed 30,632 valid votes cast, a notable result especially taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic unfolding in that period.

The most represented countries were Hungary, Argentina, Indonesia, Philippines, Slovakia, Russia and United Kingdom. In total our system identified 127 countries/territories from which votes were cast (accuracy of 80-90%). Below is the full result of your vote!

Complete results:

Puskas Arena

Puskás Aréna Budapest Hungary Hungary

  • team: national team
  • capacity: 67,215
  • construction time: 27/03/2017 - 31/10/2019
  • cost: $ 615.8 million
  • design: Skardelli Studio
PlacePhotoData
2 39,699 pts
pts
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium London England England

  • team: Tottenham Hotspur
  • capacity: 62,303
  • construction time: 2015 - 01/03/2019
  • cost: $ 1.3 billion (entire project)
  • design: Populous
3 34,938 pts
pts
Al Janoub Stadium

Al Janoub Stadium Al Wakrah Qatar Qatar

  • team: Al-Wakrah SC
  • capacity: 40,777
  • construction time: 03/2014 - 30/04/2019
  • cost: $ 643 million
  • design: Zaha Hadid Architects
4 33,421 pts
pts
MOL Aréna

MOL Aréna Dunajska Streda Slovakia Slovakia

  • team: DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda
  • capacity: 12,700
  • construction time: 2015 – 2019
  • cost: $ 24.1 million
  • design: ADIF
5 28,863 pts
pts
VTB Arena - Central Stadium Dynamo named after Lev Yashin

VTB Arena Moscow Russia Russia

  • team: FK Dynamo Moskva
  • capacity: 25,716
  • construction time: 2014 - 26/11/2018
  • cost: ?
  • design: Manica Architecture, SPeeCH, Blank Architects
6 27,644 pts
pts
Stadion Utama Papua Bangkit

Stadion Utama Papua Bangkit Jayapura Indonesia Indonesia

  • team: -
  • capacity: 40,263
  • construction time: 29/12/2016 - 08/07/2019
  • cost: $ 95.2 million
  • design: Penta Architecture
7 26,872 pts
pts
Japan National Stadium

Japan National Stadium Tokyo Japan Japan

  • team: national team
  • capacity: 68,000
  • construction time: 11/12/2016 - 30/11/2019
  • cost: $ 1.43 billion
  • design: Kengo Kuma and Associates, Azusa Sekkei
8 26,697 pts
pts
Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi

Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi La Plata Argentina Argentina

  • team: Estudiantes de La Plata
  • capacity: 30,018
  • construction time: 2002 - 31/10/2019
  • cost: $ 45 million
  • design: Arq. Enrique Lombardi y Asoc
9 26,636 pts
pts
Air Albania Stadium

Air Albania Stadium Tirana Albania Albania

  • team: national team
  • capacity: 22,500
  • construction time: 26/09/2016 - 31/10/2019
  • cost: $ 93 million
  • design: Archea Associati
10 26,072 pts
pts
New Clark City Athletics Stadium

New Clark City Athletics Stadium Capas Philippines Philippines

  • team: -
  • capacity: 20,000
  • construction time: 25/04/2018 - 12/10/2019
  • cost: $ 78.6 million
  • design: Budji + Royal Architecture + Design
11 18,153 pts
pts
Štadión Tehelné pole

Štadión Tehelné pole Bratislava Slovakia Slovakia

  • team: Slovan Bratislava
  • capacity: 22,500
  • construction time: 01/09/2016 - 02/2019
  • cost: $ 82.1 million
  • design: Karol Kállay
12 16,258 pts
pts
Reale Arena

Reale Arena San Sebastian Spain Spain

  • team: Real Sociedad
  • capacity: 39,500
  • construction time: 2017 - 2019
  • cost: $ 61.3 million
  • design: Izaskun Larzabal
13 15,916 pts
pts
Allianz Field

Allianz Field St. Paul USA USA

  • team: Minnesota United FC
  • capacity: 19,400
  • construction time: 12/12/2016 - 01/03/2019
  • cost: $ 250 million
  • design: Populous
14 13,766 pts
pts
Wuhan Five Rings Sports Center Stadium

Wuhan Five Rings SC Stadium Wuhan China China

  • team: Wuhan Zall
  • capacity: 30,000
  • construction time: 01/04/2017 - 02/2019
  • cost: ?
  • design: CITIC Architectural Design and Research Institute
15 11,210 pts
pts
Al Maktoum Stadium

Al Maktoum Stadium Dubai UAE United Arab Emirates

  • team: Al-Nasr SC
  • capacity: 15,000
  • construction time: 27/12/2017 - 31/12/2018
  • cost: $ 80 million
  • design: OBE Architects
16 10,978 pts
pts
DGB Daegu Bank Park

DGB Daegu Bank Park Daegu South Korea South Korea

  • team: Daegu FC
  • capacity: 12,419
  • construction time: 29/06/2017 - 18/01/2019
  • cost: $ 43.2 million
  • design: Mooyoung AE + Hudigm AE
17 10,863 pts
pts
Eryaman Stadyumu

Eryaman Stadyumu Ankara Turkey Turkey

  • team: Ankaragücü, Gençlerbirliği
  • capacity: 22,000
  • construction time: 05/05/2016 - 27/01/2019
  • cost: $ 13.4 million
  • design: DB Architects
18 10,529 pts
pts
Stadionul Municipal Târgu Jiu

Stadionul Municipal Târgu Jiu Târgu Jiu Romania Romania

  • team: Pandurii Târgu-Jiu
  • capacity: 12,518
  • construction time: 23/10/2015 - 30/09/2019
  • cost: $ 27.9 million
  • design: Dico și Țigănaș
19 8,588 pts
pts
Bankwest Stadium

Bankwest Stadium Parramatta Australia Australia

  • team: Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Parramatta Eels, Wests Tigers, New South Wales Waratahs
  • capacity: 30,000
  • construction time: 24/09/2017 - 31/03/2019
  • cost: $ 240 million
  • design: Populous
20 7,876 pts
pts
Estadio Fiscal de Talca

Estadio Fiscal de Talca Talca Chile Chile

  • team: Rangers de Talca
  • capacity: 16,070
  • construction time: 2010 - 15/01/2019
  • cost: $ 15.5 million
  • design: Instituto Nacional de Deporte
21 6,888 pts
pts
Datong Sports Center Stadium

Datong Sports Center Stadium Datong China China

  • team: -
  • capacity: 30,000
  • construction time: 06/09/2010 - 31/03/2019
  • cost: $ 172 million (entire complex)
  • design: Populous, CCDI

POPULAR VOTE PARTNERS

Passione Stadi  Türkiye Stadyumları & Projeleri
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Stadium of the Year Regulations

  1. Voting process schedule: Your votes will be accepted between February 10, until midnight March 15, 2020 (Central-European Time). The above form is the only means of voting, please do not send e-mails or private messages with votes, they will not be included. Each person is entitled to cast one vote, selecting your top 5 venues (giving them 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point, respectively).
  2. Voting restrictions: Every user is welcome to share information or links regarding the competition, however voting may not be subject to commercial incentives (i.e. being rewarded or subject to separate contests with prizes). Any such attempts will result in cancellation of all votes coming from identified sources. Similarily, individual voters attempting to give more than one vote will not be included in the voting process at all.
  3. Nomination process schedule: Jan 27 – Feb 5, 2020. (nomination period closed)
  4. Submitting nominations: Every User of StadiumDB.com may submit a nomination. Unlike many competitions, ours is user-oriented, so we don’t require any fees, text messages, e-mail submissions or liking us on facebook or following on Twitter (we do appreciate it, though!).
  5. Nomination requirements: To become a nominee, a stadium has to meet several criteria. It has to hold at least 10,000 people and be opened in 2019. The latter means hosting at least one event with all stands available to the public. Stadiums built from scratch are taken into consideration, as well as those that have undergone a thorough redevelopment. The competition is focused on football stadiums, which means we choose between venues that are capable of hosting a football (or soccer, if you prefer) game. They may still have running, cycling or speedway tracks around their pitch, or have pitches larger than football-specific ones (like cricket, hurling or AFL).

Jury Vote

For the 6th time we include a Jury of architectural experts who cast their votes independently of the Popular Vote. Their vote results in a separate Stadium of the Year title.

The vote ran in two phases. The Jury first evaluated all 21 candidates and the shortlist of 10 finalists was revealed, as seen below. On March 23 the final table of all 10 finalists was revealed with the winner - Japan National Stadium - being only the second Asian venue to ever win the Jury Award!

Japan National Stadium

Japan National Stadium Tokyo Japan Japan

  • Architectural value: 37.5%
  • Functionality: 37.5%
  • Innovation: 15.0%
[Points in each category are summed up, maximum possible score is 100%]
PositionPhotoScore
2 77.5% Bankwest Stadium

Bankwest Stadium Sydney Australia Australia

  • Architectural value: 32.5%
  • Functionality: 32.5%
  • Innovation: 12.5%
2 77.5% Puskás Aréna

Puskás Aréna Budapest Hungary Hungary

  • Architectural value: 32.5%
  • Functionality: 35.0%
  • Innovation: 10.0%
4 75.0% Al Janoub Stadium

Al Janoub Stadium Al Wakrah Qatar Qatar

  • Architectural value: 27.5%
  • Functionality: 32.5%
  • Innovation: 15.0%
5 72.5% Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium London England England

  • Architectural value: 22.5%
  • Functionality: 32.5%
  • Innovation: 17.5%
6 62.5% VTB Arena - Central Stadium Dynamo named after Lev Yashin

VTB Arena Moscow Russia Russia

  • Architectural value: 22.5%
  • Functionality: 25.0%
  • Innovation: 15.0%
7 57.5% New Clark City Athletics Stadium

New Clark City Athletics Stadium Capas Philippines Philippines

  • Architectural value: 22.5%
  • Functionality: 32.5%
  • Innovation: 12.5%
8 50.0% Štadión Tehelné pole

Štadión Tehelné pole Bratislava Slovakia Slovakia

  • Architectural value: 15.0%
  • Functionality: 25.0%
  • Innovation: 10.0%
8 50.0% Wuhan Five Rings Sports Center Stadium

Wuhan Five Rings SC Stadium Wuhan China China

  • Architectural value: 17.5%
  • Functionality: 22.5%
  • Innovation: 10.0%
10 47.5% Datong Sports Center Stadium

Datong Sports Center Stadium Datong China China

  • Architectural value: 17.5%
  • Functionality: 20.0%
  • Innovation: 10.0%

Jury members

Bence Pottyondy

BENCE POTTYONDY, SPP Architecture, Budapest | Having graduated architecture at Szent István University in Budapest in 2009 and University of Pécs in 2011, it only took him 3 years to work on his first ever stadium concept. First came a competition entry for MTK Budapest new arena, which – despite modest scale – is of significant historical value to Hungarian football.

That same year, in 2014, he began work on a different stadium, this time for DVTK in Miskolc. Not only was the concept successful, the stadium delivered based on his work became one of Hungary's new sporting landmarks, receiving the Pro Architectura award in 2019. It was also voted Stadium of the Year by our Jury last year, becoming the first compact stadium to win the title.

Both these projects were carried out under the brand of KÖZTI Architects, created by Bence's father and renowned Hungarian architect Péter Pottyondy. Since 2017 Bence is part of SPP Architecture. In both practices his works include sports, leisure, commercial and residential architecture.

John Rhodes

JOHN RHODES, HOK Architecture, London | John is Design Principal of HOK London’s studio and director of HOK’s global Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice and is based in the London office. With more than 15 years of experience developing high-profile facilities for a range of professional sports and entertainment activities, John’s work helps to spur urban regeneration and economic development in local communities.

John works to advance the next generation of multipurpose sports and entertainment venues that become destinations in their own right. He develops solutions with input from stakeholders including local community leaders, municipalities, investors and fans. John has extensive experience in the design of facilities including arena, stadia, Formula One circuits, conference and exhibition centres, horse racing tracks and high-performance training facilities.

His current work includes the design of the prestigious FC Barcelona Arena. As part of a comprehensive redevelopment of the existing city centre facilities, the 12,500-seat highly flexible complex will create an organic building geometry that supports a seamless progression between the arena, an auxiliary court for 2,000 spectators, an ice rink and the FCB Escola academy training facilities. He is also currently leading the design of Valencia multi-purpose Arena (18,000 capacity) for Valencia Basket, and the £200m Gateshead Quays Multi-purpose arena (12,500 capacity) and Convention Centre, and a scheme for Cardiff Multi-Purpose Arena.

He has been responsible for several major projects in the UAE. He led the design of the Zayed National Stadium refurbishment for the FIFA Club World Cup 2009 (Abu Dhabi), the award winning Al ain Sport City 2500 acre Masterplan 2009, and schemes for Abu Dhabi Mina Zayed Convention Centre & Arena.

His past work includes the design of several arenas around the world, including the award-winning Leeds First Direct Arena, the new Silverstone British Grand Prix Circuit & Facilities.

Before joining HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice, John was a principal at Populous. He graduated from Edinburgh’s Herriot Watt University/Edinburgh College with a Bachelor of Architecture degree.

John Roberts

JOHN ROBERTS, AFL Architects, Manchester | As Director of AFL Architects’ Sports & Leisure sector, John has managed and delivered projects for some of the world’s most high-profile clubs and major sporting events. He has extensive global experience in stadia design, having written and updated design guides for the Football Licensing Authority and English Cricket Board, and has presented papers to UEFA. Long-term clients include Everton FC, Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC.

John’s most recent major project has been the delivery of the 80,000 capacity Lusail Stadium, the largest stadium and centrepiece venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and the fifth largest future stadium in the world. In the UK, this year marks the completion of the AFL-designed and delivered Brentford Community Stadium, a 17,250-capacity joint venue for Brentford FC and London Irish.

Currently John is working on the delivery of Swansea Central Phase One, a regenerative mixed-use development with a new digital arena at its heart. This project follows the success of the 3,000 capacity Bonus Arena, a legacy project for Hull’s City of Culture celebrations. John is an avid sports fan and, with his Welsh roots, is an enthusiastic supporter of the Welsh rugby and football teams.

Antonino Vultaggio

ANTONINO VULTAGGIO, HPP Architekten, Düsseldorf | Antonino was born in Offenbach in 1972. After his studies in Frankfurt a.M. he worked in the office of KSP Jürgen Engel Architects where he began as project architect and became vice head of design in 2007. In 2010 he came to HPP where he managed the attendance in design competitions as Head of Design. Since 2012 Antonino Vultaggio is project partner and since 2018 partner at HPP Architekten GmbH.

His recent work includes the nearly 35,000-capacity football stadium for SC Freiburg. Vultaggio is a member of the chamber of Architects and Town Planners in Hessen/ Germany.

Jury Vote Regulations

  1. The Jury Vote runs independently from the Popular Vote. Its result will reveal our second Stadium of the Year winner.
  2. The Jury consists of highly-experienced architects from various countries. Each year we invite different specialists with fresh experiences in stadium design.
  3. Each Juror ranks every stadium individually. First, a quick round reveals shortlist of 10 finalist stadiums. Then every nominated stadium is ranked in three categories: architectural value, functionality and innovation.
  4. The stadiums are graded based on best available audio-visual materials and texts. Due to extremely limited schedule visits to the sites are impossible. The criteria are limited only to aspects possible to verify at this early stage of each stadium’s operation as many venues still have work to be done in the future and should not be scrutinised unnecessarily.
  5. Announcement of the result is expected around March 18, 2020, along with results of the Popular Vote. Date subject to change depending on vote progress.