The master plan for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China has been awarded to Populous, whose designs of special event include Olympic Games, World Cups and Super Bowls.
The winning master plan for the international competition will see over 3 million square meters (320 million square feet) of built space added to the city of Nanjing including Olympic sports venues, exhibition centers and athlete’s accommodations. The Populous plan includes public buildings that will be illuminated like lanterns for the Youth Games.
More images and complete press release after the break.
The master plan has been conceived with legacy at the forefront. Populous was able to draw upon considerable experience in delivering sustainable master planning for other Olympic sites which include the ongoing London 2012 Olympic Park, Sochi 2014 Olympic Park, and 7 other Olympic Games. Populous also has participated in the planning and staging of 26 Super Bowls and 6 World Cups for soccer, rugby and cricket.
“We’re honored to have played a part over 400 special event venues and the vast majority of the world’s great sporting competitions over the past 20 years,” said Populous Senior Principal Jerry Anderson. “Starting with the 1996 Atlanta Olympics we’ve come to understand all facets of master planning for special events and the increasing importance of urban planning to leave a lasting and positive legacy.”
Ashley Munday, Principal of the master planning team for the Nanjing submission said: ‘Our primary brief was to create a lasting legacy for the city of Nanjing following the Youth Olympics in 2014. The master plan was designed with the long term development of the city in mind and the Olympic Games have been carefully positioned to inhabit the new city rather than retrofit a legacy. Nanjing will literally light up for the Games, highlighting the city as the host of the Games.’
The award of the master planning project maintains a long connection between Populous and the city of Nanjing, as many of the sports events that are to be hosted as part of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games will be staged at the Nanjing Sports Park, which was designed by Populous for the 10th National Games of China in 2005.
Paul Henry, Senior Principal, said Populous has been working in China for over ten years. “This is a significant win for the firm, and will leave a lasting legacy for the city of Nanjing.”
The initial build will see over 400,000 square meters (4.3 million square feet) of new built space completed ahead of 2014 for the Youth Olympic Games, and the full master plan will see this figure grow to 3 million square meters (32 million square feet) over a longer period. The images that have been released demonstrate the magnitude of the project and the careful consideration for the picturesque qualities of Chinese landscape in Nanjing as well as the strong historic context.
