CHICAGO – Guangdong Olympic Stadium, the 80,000-seat Chinese venue with its signature floating roof, has been selected for a 2002 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Guangdong is one of 41 projects honored, representing skyscrapers, corporate headquarters, sports and transportation facilities, interiors, urban planning projects, airports and residences. Winning projects can be viewed at the Chicago Athenaeum’s website (www.chi-athenaeum.org). In addition, the Anthenaeum will host a special exhibition during the winter of 2003.
Guangdong was designed by a consortium of Ellerbe Becket (design architect), Nixon & Nixon Inc. (project architect) and the Architectural Design and Research Institute of South China University of Technology (architect of record).
The stadium is the centerpiece of a 10 million sf (nearly one million sm) Olympic center that includes retail, food service, a hotel and an athletic club. The stadium is located in the city of Guangzhou, about 100 miles north of Hong Kong.
The design goal was to create an icon that relates to the physical environment and history of the 2000-year-old city. The climate of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) is balmy, and the city is green year-round. Guangzhou also is known as the “Flower City.” The stadium bowl grows out of the ground to a sculpted upper edge, like the petals of a flower.
The roof form undulates, making it different from any other stadium in China or the world. Floating above the bowl, the roof flows like a wave over the seats. The wave is reminiscent of a finish line ribbon broken by a victorious runner. The roof parts at the ends and holds the Olympic flame, suspended between the two ribbons.
A hotel surrounds a circular opening in the roof that forms a vertical tower of light, which at night is visible for a great distance. “The project is an icon, a hallmark statement for the future,” said Gordon Wood, Ellerbe Becket’s principal in charge. “At the same time a stadium is a place of celebration and must reflect the special nature of the events and activities that take place there. It should be a place of excitement, special occasions, social activity and renewal.”
The stadium already has hosted the 9th National Games of the People’s Republic of China. In addition to the track and field events of the national games, Guangdong will play host to football (soccer), concerts and exhibitions. The stadium also has modern revenue-generating features such as retail space, an athletic club, food and beverage service, a 100-room hotel, 100 private suites and VIP facilities.
“Within this grand idea is a stadium that will work for the people of China for many years to come,” said Nick Nixon, AIA, president of Nixon & Nixon.
The Chinese government agrees. At the stadium’s opening in 2002, Xu, Deli, vice governor of the Guangdong Province, presented the Excellent Design Award to representatives of Ellerbe Becket, Nixon & Nixon and the South China University of Technology.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
Founded 30 years ago, Nixon & Nixon is headquartered in Oklahoma City and also has offices in Hong Kong and Guangzhou.
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design founded the American Architecture Awards in 1998 as a way to draw significant international attention to new buildings and planning projects being built and designed by American firms.
