Panasonic Stadium Suita – stadium description

Construction of a new stadium was the dream of Gamba Osaka from 2007. Their home ground at the Expo 1970 complex was already behind international regulations or actual expectations of football fans. That’s why in 2009 a detailed vision of relocation was drawn. The club would move just 700 meters south, to land within the Expo park.

Due to limited opportunities of receiving public funding and insufficient private support, the project was stalled for some time. Which in the end may have been for the better, because by 2013 it was decided to increase capacity from 32,000 to 40,000 (allowing it to be part of Japan’s 2022 World Cup bid). Also a strip of skyboxes was removed from the north end, allowing for extension of regular seating for most vibrant fans of Gamba.

What remained since 2009 was the robust plan of how the stadium should be shaped: very compact double-tiered stands (just 7-10m from the field) in a raw, concrete bowl. No decorative elements outside, except for the dynamic ribbon-like roof.

Described as 3D, the roof structure consists of primary trusses placed in 3 directions (thus the name). Using this layout allowed to cut amount of steel by 40% and also makes the structure able to withstand earthquakes.

Not only the steel, but energy and water consumption were targeted to be efficient. Half of the water (5,500 tons) used by toilets will be collected during rainfalls, the roof has a 500kW solar power plant (equivalent of 184-household use), while floodlights are Japan’s first LED system, reducing electricity use by 27%.

Efficiency was also crucial when planning the floor space. The stadium in Suita has Japan’s largest skybox/hospitality offer and at the same time may serve as emergency storage (480 square meters) or shelter for up to 800 residents (short term, fewer for longer periods). This use is among factors that gave it some public funding.

Construction was launched after some delay in December of 2013, but thanks to the precast elements the concrete structure was complete after just over a year. Entire stadium was delivered in October 2015, though without official opening for many weeks.

Construction cost was estimated at ¥15 billion in 2008, but eventually proved lower despite extra capacity. It went slightly above 14 billion, of which public authorities contributed ¥3.25bn. Vast majority came from private donations, primarily corporate (9.95bn). Thousands of people who offered their money (622m) were then invited for a community day on October 10, 2015, long before opening.