Gensler reveals football stadium with sunken pitch as "landmark venue" for Egypt
Architecture studio Gensler has unveiled its design for an undulating stadium outside Cairo, which will be the first home for the Al-Ahly football club. Collaborating with engineering firm Buro Happold and the football team's investor El Qalaa El Hamraa, the 42,000-seat stadium will feature a curving asymmetric facade and a sunken football pitch. Designed as a landmark building The post Gensler reveals football stadium with sunken pitch as "landmark venue" for Egypt appeared first on Dezeen.
Architecture studio Gensler has unveiled its design for an undulating stadium outside Cairo, which will be the first home for the Al-Ahly football club.
Collaborating with engineering firm Buro Happold and the football team's investor El Qalaa El Hamraa, the 42,000-seat stadium will feature a curving asymmetric facade and a sunken football pitch.
Designed as a landmark building for the wider Al-Ahly Club Sports City masterplan, it will be the first home stadium for Egpyt's top-tier Al-Ahly club and is set to host other large-scale events throughout the year.
Located near Sphinx International Airport, between Cairo and Alexandria, Gensler designed the stadium's pitch to be submerged into the ground to comply with height restrictions due to flight paths.
According to the studio, the sunken pitch will benefit from passive cooling from the surrounding earth.
"By overcoming site challenges and integrating sustainable, cutting-edge solutions, our design aims to create a landmark venue that embodies the spirit of the club and acts as a cultural and economic catalyst for the region, leaving a lasting impact both in Egypt and beyond," said Gensler's Europe sports leader Tayomara Gama.
Intending to foster a connection between fans and players, Gensler designed double-tiered stands surrounding the pitch on three sides.
On the fourth side, an arched window on the upper tier will give views of the sunken pitch from a public square.
An asymmetric roof will be supported by a cable-net structure, creating an open stadium with unobstructed spectator views.
"Our vision for Al-Ahly's first home was to create a place where every fan feels connected," said Gensler principal Russell Gilchrist.
"By introducing innovative approaches to the site, we conceptualised a design that ensures the stadium will be one of the most distinctive in the world," he continued.
"From the sunken bowl to the iconic structural arch, every element was conceived to deliver an unparalleled experience."
The public square, named Owners' Plaza, will mark the main entrance to the Al-Ahly stadium and will be populated with cafes, shops and an Al-Ahly museum.
Aiming to celebrate loyal fans, the Owners' Plaza will feature a walkway with the names of club members etched onto individual bricks.
Elsewhere in the stadium, a VIP section will include exclusive dining and windows overlooking the tunnel where players enter the field.
The stadium's curving facades will be clad in digital screens that will illuminate to create light shows at night, intended to be seen from above by incoming flights.
Other projects recently unveiled by Gensler include its plans to convert the former Pfizer headquarters in New York into apartments and a pair of Microsoft data centres in Virginia made from cross-laminated timber.
The images are courtesy of Gensler.
The post Gensler reveals football stadium with sunken pitch as "landmark venue" for Egypt appeared first on Dezeen.
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