Stunning stadiums of the world
The sporting arena is the modern equivalent of a monument, the Holy Grail of an architect’s fantasy. The brief is simple: Make a spellbinding container for the sportsperson’s soaring ambition. These beauties, for instance
Curated By: Madhu Kapparath
South Africa, Johannesburg Soccer City Stadium
This stadium—the largest in Africa with a capacity of 94,736—was the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which was played between The Netherlands and Spain. Also called FNB Stadium, it underwent a major upgrade in 2010. Designed by the architects HOK Sport (renamed Populous in January 2009) and Boogertman + Partners, the stadium is also known by its nickname ‘The Calabash’ due to its resemblance to the African pot, or gourd. The cladding on the outside is a mosaic of fire and earthen colours with a ring of lights running around the bottom of the structure, simulating fire underneath the pot. No spectator is seated more than 100 metres from the field and there are no restricted views in the stadium
This stadium—the largest in Africa with a capacity of 94,736—was the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which was played between The Netherlands and Spain. Also called FNB Stadium, it underwent a major upgrade in 2010. Designed by the architects HOK Sport (renamed Populous in January 2009) and Boogertman + Partners, the stadium is also known by its nickname ‘The Calabash’ due to its resemblance to the African pot, or gourd. The cladding on the outside is a mosaic of fire and earthen colours with a ring of lights running around the bottom of the structure, simulating fire underneath the pot. No spectator is seated more than 100 metres from the field and there are no restricted views in the stadium
