Greater Bay Area Sports Centre Close to Completion

• Content
• Building, Refurbishment & Fit-Out
• Greater Bay Area Sports Centre Close to Completion

08 April 2025

The Greater Bay Area Sports Centre in Guangzhou, China, is set to complete in June 2025.

The project, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, will open in November for the China National Games, China's highest-level multi-sport event.

Take a look at the video below to see the latest photos from the construction site.

Watch the Video

The site will consist of a 60,000-seat stadium, a 20,000-seat arena for basketball and other indoor events, and a 4,000-seat aquatics centre with a 50-metre swimming pool.

The project was commissioned by the Nansha District Bureau of Culture & Sports, and Zaha Hadid Architects, in collaboration with the Guangdong Architectural Design & Research Institute, were appointed in 2023. The main structures topped out in February 2024.

The 70-hectare park is situated at the southern end of Guangzhou’s Nansha District on the western bank of the Pearl River. The park will incorporate wetlands to help manage excess water due to the area’s humid subtropical monsoon climate.

The sports centre itself has also been designed with the Guangzhou climate in mind, with areas of sheltered spaces cooled with  natural ventilation techniques during the humid subtropical summer months. The layered roof of the stadium enables shelter from rain and direct sunlight while also enabling rising warm air to be naturally vented outside the building envelope. The pleats of the roof are intended to represent traditional Chinese silk fans.

Picture: a render showing an artist's impression of a concert in the main stadium bowl. Image Credit: Negatif

The buildings’ curvilinear architecture is also designed to encourage natural cooling by the prevailing summer winds that blow inland from the South China Sea. The stadium’s archway will encourage cool sea air to enter and circulate within the main seating bowl.

Picture: an aerial photograph of the 70-hectare site, showing the buildings under construction. Image Credit: China Resources Land

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 08 April 2025

Share

Related Articles