Hangzhou Civic Sports Center BLUA
Adjacent to the Qian Jiang River, the site of the Hangzhou Civic Sports Center is a connector between the natural and urban life of the city. BLUA designed this center based on the idea of an urban plaza while also wanting to create an icon for the lack of large-scale commercial facilities and distribution of leisure spaces. Inspired by mountains and their connection with sports, as well as the fact that the Hangzhou government carries out mass sports activities to promote national fitness, a popular favorite being mountain climbing, the concept for this design has granted it the name “Sports Hill”.
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The podium and the 42 meter tower follow a stacked design in order to contrast the complexity of the 70 meter tower. The roof is interconnected to make a continuous, differentiated sports landscape with cascading sports fields and pathways. Internally the spaces are arranged according to their purpose, and whether they are “active” spaces or “inactive”. Sports activities are located on the lower part of the tower and the podium where activities such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, and tennis can be found. The top of the tower is deemed as a relatively “inactive” area and is filled with offices, accessories, and the VIP Club. The steel frame of the podium becomes the major structural piece for the curtain wall and also houses the circulation element for the façade.
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The sunken plaza is 1.5 meters underground, which connects with the entry square by folding shaped steps, becoming a big open space designed as a microclimate ecological environment. The cantilevered plaza roof and canopies offer the sunken area shade while the plant-life and water features cool the air underneath through natural convection and evaporative cooling. This area contains public amenities such as gift shops, bookstores, and cafés, and also interacts with the swimming pool behind the curtain wall on the first floor of the complex, creating a lively water environment. All the swimming pools are contained within a grand open space and can be entered from the south façade or from the civic square.
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The main tower and podium is wrapped with three folding pieces covered with cellular aluminum. The twisted-folding shape has a dynamic trend of an upward spiral that also determines the density of the skin texture. Faceted crystalline geometry with crystal patterns in 3D cold lamination film, ETFE membrane, and honeycomb glass structure, heighten the sense of irresolution between flatness and depth as well as correlate graphic or pattern effects with mass inflections. The design features massive membrane bubble windows orientated to allow views out to all angles of the city. The perforated stainless steel panel on the wall strengthens the crystal shape, making this building an iconic attraction landmark for the city.
