UNStudio to design the new Korean National Football Centre in Seoul

UNStudio just revealed its winning design for the new Korean National Football Centre near Seoul, South Korea. 

The Amsterdam-based architects in collaboration with sports industry consultants Johan Cruijff ArenA developed a master plan that includes an outdoor stadium with a capacity of 1,000–1,500 seats, an indoor arena, health and resort facilities for the national soccer team, the Museum for Korean Football, supporting training fields and recreational areas as well as a youth hostel and retail. 

The proposal won the first prize in an international closed competition in March this year. The Korean Football Association had commissioned the initiative to create a state-of-the-art campus for the national soccer team and their trainers, future generations of top league players, and fans alike.

"UNStudio’s masterplan for the new National Football Centre (NFC) – located on a 450,427 m2 site in Cheonan-shi, Chungnam-do - envisions the future of Korean football, for which an international presence is crucial," explains the project description. 

"In the new NFC, the women’s team and youth teams share the facilities with the men’s national team. The youth training facilities are designed to cultivate top league players, with training from international coaches and specific emphasis on the development of their physical and mental health. However, the centre is also designed to become an attractive destination for football fans to enjoy the story of Korean football and use the facilities in order to fully tap into the energy of the league."

"In addition to the masterplan design, the international competition required that the overall design create a strong brand for the site. In order to ensure cohesiveness throughout the architecture and landscaping of the complex, UNStudio therefore created an ‘urban branding manual’. This manual serves as a blueprint for key architectural and urban aspects of the masterplan and outlines specifications for various scales of detail that adhere to the original guiding principles of the design."

UNStudio's design team included Ben van Berkel, Gerard Loozekoot with Harlen Miller, Crystal Tang and Suhan Na, Luigi Olivieri, and Zirong Zhao. Amsterdam ArenA's Henk Markerink, Sander van Stiphout, and Max Reckers consulted on Stadium Logistics and Sports Science.