Olympic Sports Center Suzhou, China

The Suzhou Olympic Sports Center is located in the heart of Hudong, an industrial park in Suzhou. It has a planning area of nearly 60 hectares, a total area of 420,000 m², and an investment volume of 4.8 billion yuan (€674 million). The Suzhou Olympic Sports Center is a multi-functional venue with an environmental class A rating. It includes sports facilities, leisure and fitness amenities, shops, and event spaces.

As the largest public sports facility in Suzhou, the completion of the complex opens up new opportunities for the local sports industry and a new era of national fitness in Suzhou.

The repeating curved shapes of the building complex form a new landmark in the city center. The roof of the swimming hall is a single-layer cable net structure with a roof structure of plates made from a durable aluminum-magnesium-manganese alloy, which is so far unique in China.

Green spaces and water areas surround the four main buildings: the stadium with 45,000 seats and a span of 250 meters, the swimming hall with 3,000 seats, the sports hall with 13,000 seats, and a shopping center.

The south side of the sports park borders the Shantang River. The winding pathways offer views of the water. The architecture and landscape change with every step. The building complex is kept simple, so that despite the considerable size of the individual buildings, it still presents an elegant and understated appearance.

The 12-meter-high podium protrudes into the landscape like a peninsula and is connected by a road along the waterside. The horizontal lines of the podium's facade consist of natural stone and aluminum plates, which is simple yet powerful. For the first time in China, the roof of a swimming hall that is part of a large sports complex was realized as a single-layer cable net structure. The roofs of the building have the form of curved paraboloid shells resting on V-shaped columns. The style of the complex is not only a highlight in the region but also a building that stands out in the park.

The roof of the stadium is clad with a PTFE membrane and is realized as a single-layer cable net structure, which was used for the very first time in China. The curved roof of the building is a characteristic feature of the complex and reflects the image of the new regional center. The Suzhou Olympic Sports Center is a model for future planning and design of large sports facilities in China. The center is the new landmark for culture and sports, as it combines sports competitions, interactions, leisure activities, and tourism.

Huana Engineering Consulting (Beijing) Co., Ltd. was commissioned with the design of the facade. The structural engineers used RSTAB for modeling, calculation, and design of the facade.

The project has so far received the following awards:

• National Green Building Demonstration Project
• China Construction Engineering Luban Award (National Quality Project) Winning Project
• Jiangsu Province Civilization Construction Safety Demonstration Project