Sports district to be built around world's largest stadium in India
Architecture studios BDP, Cox Architecture and Collage Design have revealed designs for a trio of sports venues in Ahmedabad, India, which will be built alongside the world's largest stadium.
Named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, the complex will include a tennis venue, aquatics centre and indoor arena near the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium – a cricket ground that opened in 2020 and is the largest stadium in the world.
Situated along the Sabarmati River, the masterplan was designed as a city park and sports district ahead of Ahmedabad hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the wider Gujarat state hosting the 2029 World Police and Fire Games.
The new venues at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, which will be decorated with features that draw upon traditional Indian architecture, will be designed so that they can be used by local residents outside of major sports tournaments.
"Our vision for the Sports Enclave is to create an inclusive, sustainable and distinctly Indian destination for world sport," said BDP India head Manisha Bhartia.
"By drawing on Ahmedabad's architectural traditions and blending them with cutting-edge design and technology, we are designing out single-use, sporting venues that decay over time," she continued. "We are shaping new, visually beautiful places that will host the world's greatest sporting moments, but also remain an active, vibrant part of the city's everyday life for decades to come."
A tennis centre will be built on the eastern side of the Narendra Modi Stadium. It will include a 10,000-seat centre court, two show courts with capacities of 5,000 and 3,000 seats, and additional outdoor courts.
The centre court will have a circular shape with a raised fabric roof designed for shading and natural ventilation.
At the eastern end of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave will be an 18,000-seat indoor arena, which will host gymnastics and basketball events at the Commonwealth Games. After the games it will be used for concerts and other sports events.
The exterior will be clad in bronze anodised aluminium jali – a perforated screen with ornamental patterns found in traditional Indian architecture
At the western end of the masterplan, an aquatics centre will feature glazed walls with coloured glass louvres, designed to give a glowing appearance that evokes Diwali lanterns.
Topped with a swooping roof, the aquatics centre will host 12,000 spectators for swimming and diving events during major tournaments, and be reduced to a capacity of 4,000 when functioning as a community pool.
A National Institute of Sports Excellence will be located between the Narendra Modi Stadium and tennis centre, designed as a place for aspiring sports players with training halls, gymnasiums, recovery equipment and biomedical facilities.
Parks, restaurants and community sports courts will be added to the outdoor space along the riverfront.
"The rich architectural response, building on Indian modernity and tradition, has created a truly unique design full of meaning and context that will make a lasting experience for global sporting events as well as a legacy that goes beyond such events," said Cox Architecture director Alastair Richardson.
"This new public park and associated architecture will place Ahmedabad on the world stage for many years to come."
Other major sport-related architecture recently featured on Dezeen include Zaha Hadid Architect's plans for a stadium and sports centre in Guangzhou and an ice rink in Milan designed for the 2026 Winter Olympics by David Chipperfield Architects and Arup.
The images are courtesy of BDP.
The post Sports district to be built around world's largest stadium in India appeared first on Dezeen.
