Sanya International Sports Center Stadium – stadium description

How did the new stadium in Sanya come about?

The construction of a state-of-the-art sports center in Sanya was the result of cooperation between local authorities and private companies. In the northern part of the city, in Baopo New Town, a combination of an industrial park and a sports complex was planned, along with a main multi-purpose stadium for 45,000 spectators. The project was given the working name International Sports Industry Park.

The industrial park was to attract companies interested in the development of new technologies, green energy, as well as representatives from the sports, medical, nutrition or tourism industries. The cost of implementing the entire project was valued at 21 billion yuan. The project was divided into phases. The first phase was to build sports facilities and part of the industrial park.

When was the new stadium in Sanya built?

Work began on March 18, 2019, with the demolition of the 620 houses that were located on the plot of land selected for the project prior to the start of the actual construction. Priority was given to the construction of the stadium, which was to be the main venue for the 7th Asian Beach Games, scheduled for November/December 2020. Work on the new sports hall and swimming pool proceeded somewhat more slowly.

Construction of the stadium went smoothly, even despite the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to the pandemic, the organization of the Asian Beach Games was postponed, first to 2021 and then to an unspecified date. Beijing Urban Construction Sixth Group was the main contractor for the work.

When was the new stadium in Sanya inaugurated?

Completion of the stadium was announced on September 15, 2021. In June 2022, the facility received completion acceptance. The venue was initially used on a very limited basis, such as for a children's sports camp. As the main event, the Asian Beach Games, was postponed, the actual inauguration of the stadium was also delayed.

Eventually, the inauguration of the new facility was a concert organized on July 9, 2023, which attracted more than 30,000 people. The first sporting event involving the stadium was the 7th Hainan Traditional Ethnic Minority Sports Games – the opening ceremony for the event was held at the stadium on November 24, 2023.

What makes up Sanya Baopo International Sports Center?

The stadium was built as part of a sports complex, intended to be part of a larger business and sports development. The sports complex itself, in addition to the main stadium, is to include an auxiliary stadium with running track, floodlights and a modest covered stand, as well as a large sports hall and an indoor swimming complex. The compound site also includes green areas, squares, paths, access roads and car parks.

The three largest buildings of the complex, the main stadium, the hall and the indoor swimming pool, have been given the shape of an irregular pentagon with visibly rounded vertices. The large sports hall is designed to hold up to 12,000 spectators (including 2,000 seats on folding stands), while the capacity of the swimming pool auditorium is assumed to be 4,000. At the time the stadium was commissioned, the arena and swimming pool were still under construction.

What are the characteristics of the main stadium of Sanya Baopo International Sports Center?

The stadium has a multi-purpose character, with an athletics track and a football field. A moat surrounds the running track, followed by oval stands with a capacity of 45,000 spectators. Along the pitch, the stands are slightly higher, divided into two tiers. A video screen has been placed on the southern curve.

The auditorium is equipped with plastic seats that change color with increasing height. The lowest seats are orange, followed by celadon, yellow, white, light blue and dark blue. The colors have their own symbolism: the blue track represents the sea, the seats at the bottom of the stands represent the beach and those at the top represent the sky. This is obviously related to what Sanya is associated with – a city by the sea, known for its tropical climate and a popular tourist destination.

From the outside, the building has an unusual pentagonal contour. The openwork façade is covered with 972 elements intended to symbolize the wings of an egret. The façades can be illuminated at night. An elevated access platform runs around the building.

The roof structure of the stadium is an interesting combination of a steel frame and a cable and membrane structure. The boundary between the two types of construction can easily be seen in the view from above – the white membrane contrasts sharply with the green sheathing of the steel structure.

A distinctive feature of the steel structure are the V-shaped supports set on the top of the stands. The membrane roof is oval in shape and 45 m wide, covering all the stands.