The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners are selected to design the new Wuxi Olympic Sport Center in China

German-based architecture practice von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp) are named the winners of an international competition to design a new Olympics facility in Wuxi, China.

Their concept for the Wuxi Olympic Sports Center took home the top prize and features both a 60,000-seat stadium, an 18,000-capacity multipurpose venue, and a competition pool that has room for 2,000 spectators. 

A hotel, fitness center, and apartment complex reserved for athletes will also accompany the development on a site surrounded by about 56 hectares (approximately 138 acres) of natural protective “sponge city” wetlands.

The firm shares: “The sports center is one of Wuxi City’s several pilot projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the region’s climate resilience. In cooperation with engineers from ARUP Group Ltd., gmp has developed a holistic sustainability concept for the sports park. This includes an urban design that is optimized with respect to solar radiation and the effects of wind, natural ventilation, as well as the utilization of solar, geothermal, and wind energy.”

Natural waterways and porous open spaces will be integrated into the wetlands thanks to WES LandschaftsArchitektur. Two subway lines and the city’s bus network will also be plugged into the car-free development, with an even distribution of entrances to support the flow of visitors throughout the facility.r

This is a worthy follow-up to the firm’s previous designs for the Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen and the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, which were completed over a decade ago. The firm says preliminary construction started in January 2023. Completion of the project is slated for 2025.