Construction has already been going on for half a year and will take almost two more years. At the end of 2022, the Chinese will present another spectacular stadium to the world. The style of the venue will refer to the waves carried by the sea breeze.

What has happened in the last six months?

On July 31, 2020, the ceremony that officially started construction in Qingdao took place. The Chinese have given themselves 833 days to complete the facility, so the stadium will be ready around November 2022. The cost of building a stadium with a sports and recreation complex should amount to CNY 3.24 billion (currently € 410 million).

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The venue is being built in the central part of the Chengyang district, which is part of the Qingdao port city. Qingdao is located in the eastern part of China on the Shantung Peninsula and has a population of 4 million. The facility is to be one of the ten Asian Cup arenas to be played in China in 2023.

The earthworks have already been completed and construction has entered the stage of creating foundations for the northern and western stands. At this point, works related to the construction of the main steel structure of the stadium are underway.

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Parameters of new stadium in Qingdao

Qingdao Youth Football Stadium, when completed, will seat 50,000 spectators and will be part of the Park Sports Complex. The stands will have two floors and be fully roofed. The entrance to the stadium for VIPs, sportsmen, officials and media representatives is to be located on the ground floor on the west side of the venue.

The area of the plot on which the stadium will be erected is 163,000 square metres, and the total area of the construction site is 194,000 square metres. The height of the stadium building will be 52 metres. The roof span in the north-south direction will be about 234 metres and in the east-west direction about 197 metres. The largest pylon is to be 57 metres, and the expected steel consumption is about 16,000 tons. The distance between the stands and the pitch is to be no more than 8.5 metres.

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Bouncing waves as a source of inspiration

The design of the stadium draws from the sea scenery, characteristic of Qingdao. In addition, it is to emphasize the vitality, openness and modernity of both the city and its inhabitants. The appearance of the facade of the facility is a reference to the "jumping" sea waves, rhythmically moving up and down.

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The architects were inspired by the sea breeze which gently lifts the waves, slightly foaming the water. That is why the exterior colours of the building are dominated by blue and white with a slight hint of gray. The whole has a streamlined, harmonious shape.

In addition to the stadium, a multifunctional training hall, a swimming training hall, two grass pitches, a commercial space and accompanying infrastructure are being built. Commercial premises are to be located in the basement of the building, as well as 2,000 parking spaces for fans. It is also known that a museum will be built in the stadium, and the facility itself will be integrated with the railway station.

Author: Tomasz Sobura