Dutch architect UNStudio has designed a masterplan for the Korean National Football Centre in Seoul after winning a closed competition commissioned by the Korean Football Association (KFA).
The 450,400 sq m centre will offer facilities for the women’s, youth and men’s teams that promote physical and mental health.
The centre will contain two stadiums, a dozen sports fields, natural running track, indoor gyms, medical areas and a hotel with a spa, sauna and wellness centre.
A public plaza in the middle of the development will connect a museum, the indoor and outdoor stadiums, as well as restaurants, shops and a public sports area.
UNStudio worked with an international team of football stadium managers, Amsterdam’s Johan Cruijff ArenA, and specialists in sports science and digital data on the design.
In a press release, UNStudio noted that the Dutch and South Koreans shared a "special relationship" to football, as Dutch manager Guus Hiddink led the South Korean national side to the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup, held in Japan and south Korea.
Ben van Berkel, UNStudio founder, said: "The Netherlands is a very proud footballing nation. We have many top players and trainers in teams all over the globe. As the inventors of ‘Total Football’, to us football is not just a sport, it’s an expression of culture, a science and a philosophy."
Images courtesy of UNStudio/KFA
