Yuhuan Olympic Sports Center Stadium – stadium description

How was the Yuhuan Olympic Sports Center Stadium built?

Construction of the new sports complex in Yuhuan officially began in December 2018. Yuhuan is a coastal town in Zhejiang province, located on a small peninsula, between the cities of Taizhou and Wenzhou. The sports complex was to consist of a stadium, as well as a sports hall and an indoor swimming pool. The facilities were to be built in the northern part of Yuhuan, in the so-called North District of Yuhuan Economic Development Zone.

The complex was built and is operated under a public-private partnership, with Longyuan Group as the investor. The sports hall was the first to be completed and was commissioned on August 8, 2022. The swimming pool and main stadium were ready a year later, in the summer of 2023. The cost of the entire project was 885.85 million yuan.

When was Yuhuan Olympic Sports Center Stadium inaugurated?

The inauguration of the new stadium took place on August 8, 2023, when it hosted the opening ceremony of the 16th Yuhuan Sports Games, combined with the celebration of the 2023 National Fitness Day. The first concert (called 'Stars Singing in Yuhuan') was organized at the stadium on November 4, 2023.

What makes up the Yuhuan Olympic Sports Center?

The Yuhuan Olympic Sports Center is made up of three facilities close to each other – a stadium, a sports hall and an indoor swimming pool. The main stadium has an athletics track and stands with a capacity of 20,000 people. The sports hall has a capacity of 3,211 spectators. The indoor swimming pool is not used for competitions. It houses three pools: one of Olympic size (50 × 25 m), a second, smaller one (25 × 10 m), and a paddling pool for children.

What are the characteristics of the stadium of Yuhuan Olympic Sports Center?

The stadium is surrounded by a ring of stands with the first row raised slightly relative to the running track. The main stand is located on the west side and is by far the highest with its second tier. On the eastern side, additional temporary rows can be added. Two video screens have been placed on the curves.

The roofing covers mostly the upper rows of the main stand. The form of the roof is in a sense an extension of the contour defined by the main stand. The canopy then gradually lowers and narrows, eventually turning into something like a pergola, shading the walkway along the top of the lower ring of stands.

On the west side and on the arches, a light-coloured façade coating is stretched behind the stands, which can be illuminated at night. The illumination in the stadium is provided by floodlights located at the edge of the roof and on two masts standing on the east side.

The seats in the stands form a colorful mosaic consisting of blue, yellow and red. The blue color alludes to the sea, the yellow is meant to symbolize citrus and the red is meant to symbolize the wealth and fortune of the Yuhuan people. The designers intended the entire structure to symbolize the city of Yuhuan depicted in the form of a ship, which moves forward despite the unfavorable wind and sea waves.