Winners of “Stadium of Tomorrow” Competition in Korea

The 'Stadium of Tomorrow' design competition, sponsored by global stadium architecture specialist Populous to mark the completion of the design of its first major sports stadium in Korea, attracted more than 250 teams from all over Korea.

The competition provided an opportunity for Korean student architects and designers to envision a stadium which responded to the world’s diverse environmental and climatic conditions, from Antarctica to Saudi Arabia or even the Amazon Jungle. The stadium had to be transformable/moveable/demountable.

Populous senior principal Andrew James said the caliber of entries was extremely high. “Populous is on a quest for quality and committed to investing in the education of young talented architects of the future. [...] Our recent completion of the design for the Main Stadium for the Incheon 2014 Asian Games, coupled with our commitment to developing our presence in Korea, has created the opportunity to invest further in talented Korean designers, through the ‘Stadium of Tomorrow’ Design Competition,” he said.

Populous Associate and market leader in Korea, Kim Joo Young, said the Judges were looking for the importance of “legacy” and “sustainability” in the concept, as well as functionality, uniqueness of the concept, and the project’s impact on the environment. “We want our designs to harmonize with the environment, responding to climate, culture and the community. We place great importance on sustainability and ensure that each of our designs can help to minimize their carbon footprint from the initial design, through to project completion. We are also committed to ensuring our stadia are flexible and multifunctional so that they are well used by their communities every day, all year round, not just during big events,” he said.

The competition winner was awarded $3,000 as well as a paid internship in Populous Asian headquarters in Brisbane, Australia including flights and accommodation.

First Prize: Athletic Horizon
Seondong Kim, Jongwoo Jun and Kwangyeon Cho

The First prize was awarded to Seondong Kim, Jongwoo Jun and Kwangyeon Cho with the winning entry ‘Athletic Horizon’.

The Judges were unanimous in their agreement that the entry applied an outstanding solution to the ‘Stadium of Tomorrow’. It also demonstrated how the stadium draws people and the communities together creating unforgettable experiences. The Judges concluded the scheme was so well thought out it could be applied to a real project.

Second Prize: NaCloud

The Judges panel chose ‘NaCloud’ in second place. This concept looked at a stadium comprised of modular elements. The idea was used by a number of the competition entrants, but ‘NaCloud’ was better resolved than others, and quite unique. The Judges felt the concepts explored could be applied to some parts of a contemporary stadium design, rather than the whole design. They agreed that a modular system would reduce the impact on the environment and cut costs. The concept was also appealing because it could be dismantled and used in different places by different users both before and after major events.

Third Prize: Moving Bowl

The Judges liked ‘Moving Bowl’ because it was an imaginative solution to minimize land use for a stadium, which is particularly relevant in the quest to keep the building’s footprint as compact as possible. A contemporary stadium has always separated the seating bowl from other parts of the building. This concept however proposed combining different building components to form a one large modular shape, so reducing the impact on the surrounding environment.

Honorable Mention: ASWP (Airship Stadium of World Peace)

The Judges believed ‘ASWP (Airship Stadium of World Peace)’ deserved a special mention. Perhaps it did not quite follow the context given for the competition or provide a perfect solution, but it made people think, and explored the boundaries of imagination.

The concept of this entry was of a stadium ‘visiting’ the country hosting a major sporting event, rather than the host country designing its own venues. It offered a new look at “temporary stadia” and provided a unique solution, rather like a traditional touring circus traveling around a country.

A floating and flying stadium may not be built in the near future, but the idea considers a new concept or form that a major event organizing committee such as the International Olympic Committee could suggest to host cities in the future.

All images courtesy of Populous.