© Nic Lehoux

In case you haven’t noticed, the nominations for our Building of the Year Awards have started. So to celebrate this great event, for today’s Round Up, we have a previous winner! Main image belongs to Cannon Design’s Richmond Olympic Oval, which won the award in 2010 in the Sports Architecture category.

Also in this selection, we have two stadiums used during the South Africa World Cup 2010: Moses Mabhida Stadium and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium which hosted eight games, including the 3rd and 4th place match. Finally, don’t miss the Green Water Sports Station by Peter Kuczia and the Astana Arena in Kazakstan!

Courtesy of HKS

Don’t forget to check out the building today when Super Bowl XLVI kicks off at Lucas Oil Stadium in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. HKS repeats as designer for two consecutive Super Bowl venues, immediately following the Super Bowl debut at HKS-designed Cowboys Stadium in Dallas in 2011. The 1.8 million-square-foot sports and entertainment venue has normal capacity of 63,000 for Indianapolis Colts Football, but will expand to approximately 70,000 for the 2012 Super Bowl. The stadium and surrounding site will be transformed to incorporate game-day fan plazas, sponsorship zones, media broadcast areas, fan interactive zones and tailgating. The economic impact to the host city is estimated at $300 million to $400 million.

Mark A. Williams, AIA, principal for HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, said, “We are proud to have created the venues selected for the world’s preeminent sporting event. While very different in their designs, Lucas Oil Stadium and last year’s host, Cowboy Stadium, both provide a setting that immeasurably enhances fan enjoyment and contributes to the success of this momentous event.”

Continue reading to learn more about the 2012 Super Bowl venue.

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Courtesy of MDR Architectes

Architects: MDR Architectes
Location: Roussillon, France
Photographs: Courtesy of MDR Architectes

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© Serge Demailly

Architects: Heams & Michel Architects
Location: Tourrette Levens, France
Project name: Gymnastics building
Programme: Sport
Engineer: GL Ingénierie
Client: Conseil Général des Alpes Maritimes
Project Area: 240 sqm SHON
Project Year: 2011
Photographs: Serge Demailly, Heams & Michel Architects

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Courtesy of aquidos

Architects: aquidos - J.Mª Gordi, Jordi Jané, Anna Fumadó, Francesc Puig
Location: Burriana, Spain
Construction Manager: Oriol Marin
Project Manager: Miquel Marco
Cooperators: Joaquín Oliver
Structure: Static ingenería
Installations: Ingsemat S.L.
Client: Ayuntamiento de Burriana
Area surface: 3,297 sqm
Cost: 2,850,0005€
Contractor: UTE GyC + VASECO
Photographs: Courtesy of aquidos

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Courtesy of gmp Architekten

The challenging task of designing for the Eurovision Song Contest this year was undertaken by combining the efforts of gmp Architekten von Gerkan, Marg und Partner, Alpine Bau Deutschland AG, and Nüssli International AG. Taking place in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku at Crystal Hall, the aim was to create and implement a multipurpose event-venue that is meant to accommodate 25,000 spectators.The characteristic crystalline shape of the building and its illuminated façade is the response to Azerbaijan’s special request for the creation of a widely visible and visually effective landmark as a bridge between Asia and Europe that will be noticed in an international context. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »

© Roland Halbe

Architects: José María Sánchez García
Location: Alange, Badajoz, Spain
Project Team: Daniel González Guerrero, Julia Ternström, Enrique García-Margallo Solo de Zaldivar, Francisco Sánchez García, Marion Foucault, Cruz Calleja Perucho, Rafael Fernández Caparros, Maribel Torres Gómez, Laura Rojo Valdivielso, Marilo Sánchez García, Marta Cabezón López, Mafalda Ambrósio, Carmen Leticia Huerta.
Structural Engineer: María Concepción Pérez Gutiérrez
Services Engineer: ARO consultores
Project Year: 2010
Project Area: 1,959.81 sqm
Photographs: Roland Halbe

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Courtesy of Quentin Perchet & Gabriel Scerri

The aim of Bike The Floating Stadium by architects Quentin Perchet & Gabriel Scerri is to design a gift to the city, a symbol of sustainability, and a 24/7 open public space gathering in an exemplary way for leisure, entertainment, and philanthropy. Their concept consists in driving bicycles and pedestrians from their homes to an exceptional viewing platform of the city, through a promenade along the water in the Noord 7 area of Amsterdam. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »

© James Brittain

Architects: ACDF*
Location: Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
Client: Ville de Saint-Hyacinthe
Consultant: Inneauve
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 3600 sqm
Photographs: James Brittain, ACDF*

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aerial 01

Grimshaw Architects recently announced that they have been selected by the All England Lawn Tennis Club to design their “Wimbledon 2020” masterplan for future development requirements. After a competitive selection process, it was decided that they will design the new masterplan to continue the previous ‘Long Term Plan’, which was commissioned in 1993 and completed in June 2011.  Working with such a prestigious British and internationally renowned institution, Grimshaw will embrace Wimbledon’s unique history of tradition and innovation to enhance further its position as the pre-eminent tennis Grand Slam. Another image of their design can be viewed after the break. read more »

© Leonardo Finotti

We have some great projects for our 5th selection of previously featured stadiums. A project designed by the 2011 Pritzker Prize winner Eduardo Souto de Moura, one stadium for the Qatar World Cup 2022, two great concepts for future stadiums and one classic for the Olympics of 1972. Check them all after the break.

Braga Municipal Stadium / Eduardo Souto de Moura
The Braga Municipal Stadium located in Portugal was designed by 2011 Pritzker Prize winner Eduardo Souto de Moura. The ceremony for the Pritzker Prize (which we attended) was held just a few short weeks ago in New York City. Delivering a speech for the award winner, President Barack Obama spoke of Souto de Moura’s use of materials and attention to detail, specifically siting the Braga Municipal Stadium as “perhaps Eduardo’s most famous work” where he “took great care to position the stadium in such a way that anyone who couldn’t afford a ticket could watch the match from the surrounding hillside.” (read more…) read more »

Courtesy of FUSTER + Partners Architects

Architect: FUSTER + Partners Architects
Location: Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Project team: Nataniel Fúster, George S. Stewart, Heather Crichfield, Sadie Winslow, Eric Barrios, Carlos Córdoba; Juan Ayguabibas, consultant
Owner: AFI (Autoridad del Financiamiento de la Infraestructura).
Starting date: dec. 2007; Completion date: Feb. 2010
Photographs: Courtesy of FUSTER + Partners Architects

  
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© Pavel Meluš

Architect: Fischer Architects
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Client: Capital city of Slovakia Bratislava
Design team: Dušan Fischer, JánJacko, Richard Koseček, ZoranSamoľ, MojmírVychodil, Igor Lauko, KatarínaFischerová, DušanKolenkáš, Tamara Závodná, JurajZávodný
Completion date: 4/2011
Area: 55,000 sqm
Capacity: 10,076 spectators, 3 ice rinks, 370 parking lots in underground garage
Photographs: Pavel Meluš

   
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Courtesy of EASTERN design office + KAWAGUCHI & ENGINEERS

EASTERN design office + KAWAGUCHI & ENGINEERS shared with us their project, Light Thread, China Agricultural University’s Gymnasium / Wrestling Arena for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. During the Olympic Games, the wrestling arena has a 10,000-person capacity. After the Olympic Games, 4,000 temporary seats can be taken out and the interior can be refitted with three arenas, a pool, and 6000 seats to transform the space into a gymnasium complex. Since this building will come into the possession of the Chinese Agriculture University, they sought to create a condition that allows the special requirements of the Olympic Wrestling Arena and the functional features of a building for the Chinese Agriculture University to both be fulfilled in a single construction. More images and architects’ description after the break. read more »

© Jordi Canals

Architects: Domingo Ferré
Location: Calle Figueres 2, Reus (Tarragona), Spain
Buildarea: 1,459 sqm
Budget: 365 €/sqm
Photographs: Jordi Canals, Ricard Altes

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Courtesy of Saucier + Perrotte & Hughes Condon Marler Architects

The mayor of Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, recently announced the winning project in the architecture competition for the new indoor soccer center at the Saint-Michel Environmental Complex (SMEC). The jury has chosen the concept developed by Saucier + Perrotte & Hughes Condon Marler Architects from among the four submitted by the finalist firms. The daring and creative project is one more step toward the completion of this long-awaited project, which will provide Montrealers with access to a sports center that is not only functional but boasts a modern design meeting the highest standards of quality. This public building, a testament to the talent of our local architects, will be incorporated into the SMEC, one of the largest parks in Montréal. More images and project description after the break. read more »

Courtesy of Holm Architecture Office + VM Studio

Holm Architecture Office (HAO), in collaboration with VM Studio, recently received first place in a competition for the re-design of the Coleman Oval Skate Park in Manhattan. Nine New York design firms were invited to participate in the competition, which was sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and a Gamechangers grant from Nike, a campaign encouraging community organizations to empower youth through sports programs that spur social and economic development. The project is being developed with the New York City Parks & Recreation Department’s Adopt-a-Park program. More images and project description after the break. read more »

© Arash Nasiri

Architects : FEA STUDIO - Arash Nasiri , Ensieh Khamseh
Location: Bastam, Semnan, Iran
Project team: Pirooz Parsazadeh, Masoumeh Molaee, Mohammad Hosein Azimi, Amir Nasiry
Structural design: Payman Khatibi
M&E design: Babak Koolivand, Ahmad Rahmati
Project manager & Contractor: Hossein Farzinnia , Alireza Tahmouresi
Client: NOOR-e-MOBIN charity organization , Mr. Hossein Farzinnia
Project area: 1,400 sqm
Completion: 2010
Photographs: Behrooz Khamseh, Arash Nasiri

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© Nic Lehoux

Architects: Acton Ostry Architects Inc
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 40,000 square feet
Completion Date: 2009
Photographs: Nic Lehoux

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© Duccio Malagamba

Architects: Fuses i Viader
Location: Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Girona, Spain
Project: 2005
Completion: 2009
Construction firm: COPAYBA 2000 S.L.
Structure: Blázquez-Guanter
Collaborators: Carla Arruebo, Pilar Arbonés, Dolors Bosch, Silvina Mayer, Josep Ribes, Jordi Serra
Photographs: Duccio Malagamba

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