Changsha Olympic Sports Center Stadium – design description

What is the Changsha Olympic Sports Center Stadium project in a nutshell?

The new, representative stadium will stand in the southern part of Changsha, on the Xiang River waterfront. The facility will be part of a larger sports complex, which will also include a large sports hall and swimming pool.

The stadium is intended to symbolize the “red cradle” – referring to Changsha's revolutionary and communist heritage. In turn, the interconnected hall and swimming pool are to resemble a butterfly dancing over the Xiang River.

The main stadium will hold 65,000 spectators, making it the largest venue in the province. With the construction of the new complex, local authorities hope to host the 16th Chinese National Games in Changsha, which will be held in 2029.

Construction was officially inaugurated on April 27, 2025, with the new complex expected to be ready in December 2028.

What do the plans for the Changsha Olympic Sports Center include?

The Changsha Olympic Sports Center will consist of three main facilities: a stadium, which will be the key, dominant element of the complex, as well as a large sports hall and a swimming pool, which will be linked together.

The connected buildings of the sports hall and indoor swimming pool are meant to symbolize a butterfly dancing over the Xiang River. The sports hall will have a capacity of 18,000 spectators, and the stands of the swimming pool will hold 4,000 people. The main buildings of the complex will be surrounded by greenery, paths and plazas.

What will be the main stadium of the Changsha Olympic Sports Center complex?

The large stadium will be given an oval form, and its facade and roof will be covered with overlapping segments, creating a modern, dynamic form. The facility will accommodate 65,000 spectators, which will surpass Changsha's other large stadium, Helong Stadium, and become the largest in the province.

The interior of the stadium is to be dominated by the color red, a reference to the theme given to its concept – “red cradle”. The motif refers to Changsha's revolutionary and communist heritage – Mao Zedong, who also came from the city's environs, studied in this city.

Where will the Changsha Olympic Sports Center be built?

A new sports complex in Changsha – the capital of Hunan Province – is planned in the southern part of the city, on the western bank of the Xiang River, near the newly constructed bridge (Muping Xiangjiang Grand Bridge).

Dynamic development of this land is planned in the near future to bring the urbanized areas of the cities of Changsha, Xiangtan and Zhuzhou closer together.

What purposes will the Changsha Olympic Sports Center serve?

With its high-end facilities, the representative complex is expected to serve as a magnet for major sports and cultural events in Changsha.

One of the main driving forces behind the investment was the desire to bid to host the 16th Chinese National Games, to be held in 2029 – the local authorities have already tried twice unsuccessfully to attract the competition, and this time their trump card is to be the emerging state-of-the-art sports complex.

Who designed the Changsha Olympic Sports Center?

The architectural concept was prepared by the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology in cooperation with the Hunan Provincial Architectural Design Institute.

The chief architect was Mei Hongyuan, who was previously involved in designing the sports arenas for the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin (2025). The concept was selected through a competition, the results of which were announced in early 2025.

When will the Changsha Olympic Sports Center be built?

Construction of the complex was officially inaugurated on April 27, 2025, with the cost of the entire project expected to reach 6.8 billion yuan. Completion is scheduled for December 2028.

A report on the construction of the Changsha Olympic Sports Center Stadium can be seen on a separate subpage