A team comprising the UK’s Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), Swedish consulting engineer Sweco and Danish landscape architect Tredje Natur has won a design competition to rebuild Aarhus football stadium in Denmark.
The project is being developed by the Municipality of Aarhus on behalf of the city’s team, Aarhus Gymnastikforening FC.
The venue will be located within the city’s Marselisborg forest, and its public colonnades and the timber ribs of its façade will match the average height of surrounding trees.
The plan is to use three primary materials in the construction: concrete made from recycled aggregates for the columns; locally procured, upcycled and recycled steel for the trusses; and sustainable timber for cladding.
The seating will be close to the pitch, enclosed in a single-tier bowl, and the ground will be surrounded by a public path, sheltered from the elements.
Gianluca Racana, ZHA’s director, said: “Providing a wealth of public spaces for use 365 days a year, the stadium will be a landmark for the city that incorporates the highest standards of environmental, economic and social sustainability in in every aspect of its design and construction.”
Ole Schrøder, a partner in Tredje Natur, added: “Our proposal is celebrating the proud spirit of the club and its importance for the City of Aarhus. Paying tribute to both the architectural heritage on site and the unique nature that surrounds it will serve as a welcoming gesture to the public.”
Built across four phases, construction is due to begin in the second half of 2023 and be completed in 2026.
The adjacent “Stadionhallerne” building, completed in 1918 by architect Axel Høgh-Hansen, will be refurbished.
