Zaha Hadid Architects' 60,000-Seat Xi'an Stadium

ZAHA Hadid Architects (ZHA) has revealed its design for a new 60,000-seat stadium in the Chinese city of Xi’an.

While Xi’an International Football Centre has been designed to host the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, it also includes a number of amenities to ensure the venue will be in use long after the games are over.

Above and below: The Xi’an International Football Centre references traditional Chinese architecture and contains an abundance of public spaces (images courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects).

The Centre includes a mix of public dining and entertainment facilities that will be able to hold other national, international and domestic league games - as well as concerts, performances, cultural events and training academies.

Along the stadium’s south-facing elevation will be a number of green terraces, sheltered by an overhanging rooftop.

These green terraces will not only provide shade during Xi’an’s hot summer months but will also host service areas for visitors and views of Qing Mountain.

Above: The stadium is made to integrate with Xi'an, one of China's oldest cities. Below: The unique saddle shape of the interior maximises views (images courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects).

The interior of the stadium will have a distinctive “saddle-shape”, designed by ZHA to maximise views for every single seat.

While the venue’s roof will be made of a lightweight, tensile cable-net structure that will allow plenty of natural light, vital for the grass on the pitch.

Construction on the stadium is set to begin shortly.