MVRDV, in collaboration with Huayi Design, has won the competition to design the Shenzhen Pingshan Sports Park in eastern Shenzhen. The park will include a sports arena, the Chinese National Badminton Training Centre, a National Fitness Center, and public sports facilities, along with commercial spaces. A total of 100 badminton courts will be spread across the park’s facilities, and the design features a 240-meter-long (787 ft) roof shaped like a badminton racket, serving as the complex’s central element.
The main building will house the arena, warmup and training courts, with a public promenade area forming a T-shaped layout connecting the spaces. At the center of these promenades is a plaza called the “sweet spot,” referencing the optimal area on a badminton racket, which gives the design its name. The lower ground level connects various areas of the National Training Centre and includes sports science research spaces, while maintaining privacy for athletes moving between facilities.
The racket-shaped roof will support photovoltaic panels to power a significant portion of the complex, with a grid structure reminiscent of racket strings. South of the main building, a 23-story tower shaped like a shuttlecock will feature hotel rooms and short-stay apartments for athletes, with two adjacent commercial buildings designed with smaller racket-like forms.
On the west side of the main building, a large tribune steps down to overlook additional sports facilities, including courts for badminton, basketball, and football, enhancing the local neighborhood. This area also hosts the National Fitness Center, which will include more badminton courts, tennis courts, and a swimming center. The park extends under the Pingyan Expressway, incorporating outdoor sports spaces like a skate park, basketball courts, a running track, and a playground.
The design creates a comprehensive sports landscape, offering facilities for athletes and the public, and serves as a global hub for badminton, with a design that symbolically and practically represents the sport.
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