Kunshan Football Stadium – design description

How did plans to build a new stadium in Kunshan come about?

A new stadium in Kunshan near Shanghai will be built on initiative of the local authorities. Project was prepared by gmp Architekten in cooperation with Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd.  Sbp was responsible for roof construction.

Venue was planned with the 2023 Asian Cup football tournament in mind and was on the list of 10 stadiums to host the tournament. However, in May 2022, China abandoned hosting competition due to COVID-19 pandemic.

For whom will the new stadium in Kunshan be of use to?

New stadium is to be hosted by professional football club Kunshan FC, which plays at Kunshan Stadium from 2019 after moving from Zhenjiang. It is a relatively young venue (opened in 2006), with a capacity of 30,000 spectators. However, due to its athletics track, it does not provide ideal conditions for football matches.

When will a new stadium be built in Kunshan?

Construction of new stadium began on 29th October 2020 at a cost of 1.36 billion yuan. Facility is being built in the eastern part of Kunshan. Construction is scheduled for completion in December 2022, with the first matches to be played in early 2023. A high-speed agglomeration rail station will be built next to the stadium, on a line under construction from 2018 to connect Suzhou and Shanghai metro systems.

What will Kunshan Football Stadium look like?

New stadium will have a capacity of 45,000 spectators and its design is inspired by traditional Chinese fans. Facility will have a typical football layout, without an athletics track. Stadium will take an oval form, with 36 bent, double concrete pillars perfectly visible in its exterior.

At the top, steel girders will be attached to concrete pillars to form roof structure. Canopy will cover the entire auditorium and, like a façade, will be made of a white membrane (with glazing at the ends). Rooftop will be fitted with floodlights.

Stands, which are going to surround the playing field on all sides, will be divided into two tiers and first rows will be elevated in relation to the pitch. Seats on stands will form a mosaic, consisting mainly of shades of turquoise. Two video screens will be installed in stands behind goals.

From the outside, the stadium will be surrounded by a circular elevated promenade. Between this promenade and stadium there will be a strip of open space, over which a series of footbridges will be built, connecting entrances to the stadium with the promenade. Space in the close quater of the stadium will be mostly free of buildings and will be arranged as a recreational area. Parking facilities will also be created next to the stadium.