Binzhou Health and Culture Center – construction description

How did the new sports complex in Binzhou come about?

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Binzhou city authorities began planning the construction of a large sports complex. The complex was to be built in the so-called Binzhou New District, an area that at the time could be described as the north-western suburbs of Binzhou, although today these areas are already heavily urbanised and part of the urban fabric.

A plot of land of almost 100 ha was designated for the construction of the so-called Binzhou Olympic Park. The foundation stone was laid on December 28, 2006. Work first started in the south-western part of the plot, where the so-called Education Center was built, the centrepiece of which is a sports hall (Binzhou Olympic Park Gymnasium) for 7,000 spectators.

In the following years, further buildings and sports facilities were built on the site. The final element of the complex is to be the so-called National Health and Culture Center, which will occupy the south-eastern section of the Binzhou Olympic Park.

What will the National Health and Culture Center in Binzhou be?

The main elements that make up the National Health and Culture Center are a 33,000-seat multi-purpose stadium and a building housing the so-called National Fitness Center, which will include gymnasiums, basketball and badminton arenas and even swimming pools.

When will the new stadium in Binzhou be built?

Construction of the National Health and Culture Center officially began on May 29, 2021, and the main contractor for the stadium is China Railway Construction Engineering Group Second Company. The venue is scheduled to be completed in October 2023. The construction of the stadium including the fitness center is expected to cost 1.644 billion yuan.

What does the Binzhou Olympic Park look like?

The complex includes various sports facilities and other buildings, as well as numerous playing fields, tennis courts and recreational paths and areas, as well as access roads and car parks. The central part of the complex is occupied by a small pond.

What will the new Binzhou stadium be like?

The architectural concept of Binzhou National Health and Culture Center Stadium can be seen on a separate subpage

The main stadium of the Binzhou Olympic Park complex will feature an athletics track and grandstands capable of holding 33,000 spectators. A lower spectator ring will surround the running track on all sides, and high second tiers of grandstands will also be built along the field on both sides.

The whole will be surrounded by a huge steel structure forming the façade and the roof that will cover all the stands. The façade of the building will be clad in decorative glass and aluminium panels. An elevated entrance promenade will be created around the stadium. The building's form has already earned it the nickname 'Bird's Nest of Binzhou' (in reference to the National Stadium in Beijing).

What will the new stadium in Binzhou be built for?

The new stadium will become the main sports venue in the city and will be capable of hosting a variety of sporting and cultural events at regional and national levels. The construction of the National Health and Culture Center will complete the Binzhou Olympic Park complex, which has been under construction since 2006, as its final component.