China

ABOUT

Located in the province of Liaoning, Dalian is often considered one of the most pleasant Chinese cities to live in. This flourishing port city distinguished by its very modern architecture opens onto the Yellow Sea and constitutes a major tourist and economic hub along the Chinese cost.

Suoyuwan Stadium, the centrepiece of a larger rehabilitation project

A few years ago, the city of Dalian adopted an ambitious project to rehabilitate a number of abandoned industrial areas located west of today’s port. The new developments are intended to revitalise the coastline as part of a broad urban redevelopment project. Part of the project included the construction of a brand-new 63,000-capacity football arena, Suoyuwan Stadium, in Dalian.

A symbolic, sea-inspired design

The project’s architects — BDP Pattern, Buro Happold — developed a unique architectural concept designed first and foremost to highlight the historical bond between the city and the sea. The round-shaped structure features an envelope in shades of blue evoking the sparkling effect of seashells, while the roof itself draws from the billowing movements of the sea. A set of two outdoor ramps, cleverly built into the structure, give visitors access to the building’s raised base to enjoy the breath-taking panorama over Dalian Bay from under the cover of the roof. This new development not only serves as a sporting venue — it is also a work of art that celebrates the sea and a platform providing unparalleled views.

PTFE membranes for the Dalian stadium

The Dalian Stadium broadly combines art with function. The design stands out for the unique shape of its roof, covered with PTFE membranes by Serge Ferrari Group. These high-performance fabrics were chosen for their capacity to reconcile aesthetics with function, giving life to a succession of geometric waves stretching across the entire surface of the roof.

Nearly 50,000 m2 Serge Ferrari group premium PTFE membranes covers the roof. These technical fabrics, particularly suited to complex and challenging projects, are greatly appreciated for their durability and high resistance to weather conditions. These translucent solutions let natural light flood the stadium while ensuring optimal fire resistance for this kind of public venues. Their structure and high mechanical resistance facilitates longer spans, thereby minimising the need for secondary structures and reducing the weight of the overall building. The use of Serge Ferrari Group’s PTFE membranes on this project helped the team strike the perfect balance between architectural flair and functional requirements, enabling the creation of a strong statement project with a distinctive identity.

Project participants :

Architecture: BDP Pattern, Buro Happold ; Hitadri/Atopia Studio
Engineering: Dalian Architecture Science Research & Design Institute Co. Ltd, Highbrid
Manufacturing and installation: Sanxin
Copyright: Mr HUANG Ligang