Perkins + Will reveal bowl shaped Dubai sports stadium design

Architecture firm Perkins + Will has revealed details of its design for the largest sports stadium in the UAE, set to be constructed in Dubai.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Stadium was approved earlier this year by UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

but detailed images and information about the project have only just been released.

According to the architects: “The inspiration for the design stems from the desire to create a stadium like no other that draws from regional precedents while providing a sustainable and visionary destination for Dubai.”

Currently, in the planning and design phase, the 60,000 capacity stadium will take the form of an elevated structure encased in a diagrid bowl, with the playing field elevated 18m above an entry plaza below.

The stadium, which will have an open-tensile roof, will be available for use all year-round. It will have an architectural skin that allows for airflow while blocking out unwanted sand and sun.

Meanwhile, courtyard water elements beneath the stadium will create a natural thermal sink that cools the air, and a landscape design that uses trees and vegetation to block hot wind while providing shade.

Perkins + Will are designing the stadium as part of a wider mixed-use development that will include training facilities, a practice pitch and warm up areas, a museum, a multi-purpose sports hall, shops, restaurants, a public plaza and a 5,000-space car park. The total site will cover an area of 120,000m2.