For the first time in history a stadium from the USA becomes Stadium of the Year. Switzerland’s Stade de la Tuilière came just behind SoFi Stadium, with Chinese Xi’an OSC Stadium closing the podium.

It’s our great pleasure to announce the Jury Vote results. Although we haven’t revealed this previously, already during the first round of voting SoFi Stadium came on top, even individual notes of 100%. Thus, making a precedent in 11 years of the competition, a US stadium grabs the Jury Award, Congratulations!

Winner – SoFi Stadium (73.5% of possible points)

You may think that the immense scale and fortune spent on the stadium (just a reminder, $3.4 billion) made this stadium win. Well, think again. Of course, the project is profoundly impressive, but expensive NFL stadiums weren’t historically appreciated by our Jurors. Even in this edition the other stunning US candidate, Allegiant Stadium, didn’t reach the final.

It’s not the scale that proved decisive, it was the welcoming and accessible nature of the project, despite its actual size. It’s landscaped and open-air despite having a permanent dome, which seems to have won over all four Jurors.

This stadium is exceptional in many ways. The pedestrian experience is stunning with both the surrounding site elements creating wonderful visual points of interest, and the inviting nature of the stadium which is bold but at the same time accessible. The building form itself is a triumph, breaking out of the traditional bowl massing and reaching across the site in a way that provides a unique experience at every elevation. Very nice facility all around. says Bill Massey, principal architect at Sasaki.

2^nd place – Stade de la Tuilière (72.0%)

It may have been one of this year’s smallest stadiums but it only lost by 1.5% to the record-breaking winner. The building in Swiss Lausanne proves that simple means and tested solutions can still be creatively integrated into a consistent, robust venue that manages to stand out.

Perfectly played, rough concrete bended into shape, stairs to heaven that lead to a stadium or are just playground. Open yet closed, embedded landscapes, good signage and colour concept. Best roof structure with great comfort for visitors. says Kartsten Fiebiger, CEO at FIEBIGER GmbH Architekten+Ingenieure.

3^rd place – Xi’an Olympic SC Stadium (69.5%)

Astonishing, packed with technology, the 60,000-seater from northern China impresses with its intricate form. While the seating bowl is conventional and would not make the stadium unique even in its own country, the steel dome manages to create a completely unique appearance. This seems to be the key to its high position.

The stadium is recognizable for its unique shape, nicknamed “pomegranate flower”, and for sure the making of the futuristic flower form was a very complicated and sophisticated procedure. Nikos Siapkaras, co-founder of A&S Architects praises the design. It also takes advantage of advanced technologies including 5G wireless communication and face-recognition technologies to improve athletes’ performance and the audience’s experience. he adds.