Tangshan New Sports Center Stadium – stadium description

How did the new stadium in Tangshan come about?

The creation of the new stadium along with the entire sports complex in Tangshan, a city less than 200 km east of Beijing, is linked to the creation of the so-called Nanhu Ecological Tourism Scenic Area. This is a recreational area including a large artificial lake, created as a result of the revitalisation of post-mining areas.

The decision to create the park was taken in 1996. Previously, a coal mine had been operating in the area since the 19th century, and after the 1976 earthquake, rubbish was also dumped here. The park area and the lake were created in the first decade of the 21st century. A large square was also created within the park, on the northern shore of the lake.

The plaza was later expanded, with the construction of the Tangshan Planning Exhibition Hall next to it, a large building displaying the history of the city's reconstruction after the 1976 earthquake (which was one of the most tragic earthquakes in world history). The building opened in 2016, on the 40th anniversary of the earthquake.

Along with the new building, the boulevard was also extended to the north and the whole establishment was given an interesting form to symbolize the phoenix – in reference to the city that rose like a phoenix from the ashes after the earthquake.

It was next to this boulevard (on the site where car parks had previously been built for visitors to the Tangshan Planning Exhibition Hall) that a new sports complex was subsequently designed on the initiative of the local authorities. The complex was to include a large stadium for 35,000 spectators, as well as, interconnected in one building, a sports hall with stands for 6,000 spectators and a swimming pool with an auditorium for 2,000 people.

The new, representative stadium was to replace the city's existing main stadium, which was located within the so-called Tangshan Sports Center, about 5 km north of the plot of land designated for the new venue. The old stadium opened in 1983 and was not particularly distinctive. It was demolished in 2015.

When was the new stadium in Tangshan built?

Construction of the new sports complex officially began on March 3, 2018, with Shanghai Baoye as the main contractor. The cost of the entire project was 2.07 billion yuan. All buildings were being constructed simultaneously, but the arena and swimming pool were given a higher priority and were to be built faster, with completion scheduled for the end of 2019. Construction of the stadium was to be completed in June 2020.

Construction progressed slower than anticipated and the COVID-19 pandemic was struggled with during construction, with the stadium's main reinforced concrete structure completed on June 19, 2020. The arena and swimming pool did not finally open until January 1, 2023. The stadium was inaugurated with a Jeff Chang concert on September 9, 2023, which attracted more than 30,000 spectators.

What makes up the Tangshan New Sports Center?

The new complex has been named the Tangshan New Sports Center and consists of three main facilities: a 35,000-seat stadium, a sports hall with stands for 6,000 people and an indoor swimming pool with an auditorium for 2,000 people.

The arena and swimming pool have been combined to form a single building, while all the structures are linked by an elevated platform. The facilities have an oval shape and are covered with a metallic façade/roof, interspersed with narrow strips of glass. Surrounding the arenas are green areas, small playing fields, paths, squares, access roads and car parks.

What are the characteristics of the stadium at Tangshan New Sports Center?

The round, contoured form of the stadium, with lowers on the curves, can resemble the shape of a saddle. The roof and façade form a single unit, which is covered with a metallic coating, enriched with perforations and a spiral pattern created from narrow strips of glazing. At night, the facility can be illuminated.

The stadium is equipped with an athletics track, which is surrounded by oval stands, with the first rows slightly above the level of the track/field. The stands are divided into four segments: two on the curves and two along the pitch. Along the field, the auditorium has two tiers (plus a narrow middle tier), the curves are noticeably lower. Two video screens have been placed on the curves.

Plastic seats have been installed in the stands, forming a mosaic of white and blue (white seats predominate at the bottom and blue at the top). Behind the curves one can see a reinforced concrete structure with V-shaped columns to support the steel framework (due to the lack of a second tier of stands at this point). This structure also has an aesthetic value.

Because of the seismic risk, the building was constructed to meet higher safety criteria in terms of earthquake resistance, which required, for example, twice as much reinforcing steel as would normally be used.

The facility serves as the main stadium in Tangshan. It is designed to host high-level cultural events and sporting competitions, and to serve the local community on a daily basis.