Whether by day or night, it’s equally impressive. But will it find sufficient use not to fall into despair? That’s the challenge in Ordos, where a massive new sports complex was opened last year.

It’s called the golden saddle for… well, quite obvious reasons. Inner Mongolia is known for its equestrian traditions, but even without this interpretation it’s a very expressive form, catching the eye with and without its bright illumination. Should you vote for Ordos SC Stadium as Stadium of the Year 2015? Check below if you appreciate this arena.

Ordos is a peculiar place, known primarily for being a “ghost town”. Of course that’s not entirely true, but Ordos is indeed a metropolis being built from scratch on a remote upland, while millions of residents occupy major cities in the valley up north.

Yet, with numerous investment projects ongoing in Ordos, the city is almost bound to succeed eventually. And like every major city, it had to have a major sports complex. It was built beside the newly-created northern ring-road around downtown, spreading across 34 hectares. The stadium itself offers 113,000 square meters of floor space.

Its stands have two tiers, upper one with one open end (north). This is where the stadium’s main access ramp is located and the interior “welcomes” fans with its open form. Seats create a green and yellow background with single brighter ones, mimicking the prairie in bloom.

The “saddle” is composed with 46 massive, concrete columns, tallest one reaching 76 meters. Each is covered with panels suggesting a wood-alike appearance. This way, even though the building’s volume dominates the landscape, it doesn’t stand in contrast with surroundings.

Only details of the outer cladding are very brightly coloured. These inlays are to represent local folk costumes in dance. Another ludic element is a sculpture of moorin khuur, traditional Mongolian music instrument, placed within the main access ramp.

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