MVRDV, together with co-architects Huayi Design, has been announced as the winner in the Shenzhen Pingshan Sports Park competition in Eastern Shenzhen. The proposed development will feature an arena for badminton and other sports, the newly proposed Shenzhen Badminton Training Centre, a National Fitness Center, a general sports park which is open to all, and various commercial facilities. Badminton is featured in the design of the complex, which has a total of 100 badminton courts.
The arena, the warmup, and the training courts are hosted in the main building of the complex, through which a public promenade meanders to create a lively T-shaped central plaza. The plaza is the result of the “sweet spot” a name inspired by the perfect point on a badminton racket for hitting the heart of the public space.
A link space, at a level lower than the public ground, is ensconced between different sections of the National Training Centre, thus providing space for the privacy of athletes while they move between spaces. This multi-layered design makes for smooth integration of public areas, maintaining exclusively professional areas for athletes.
“Given the programme of the complex, it was clear that the Pingshan Sports Park should be a real celebration of all sports, but more than anything else, it should be a celebration of badminton”, says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. “With the design of The Sweet Spot, we tackled that requirement head-on, with a fun and easily readable concept that anyone can appreciate. At the same time, we took great care to resolve this complex project in a way that is efficient, sustainable, and social. We’re thrilled we were able to take the winning shot in this competition!”
Sustainability is central to the project, with a roof in the shape of a badminton racket supporting photovoltaic panels that provide energy. Other sports facilities in the vicinity of the park include: a 23-storey shuttlecock-shaped tower housing hotel rooms and apartments for athletes, racket-inspired commercial buildings. Its west side steps down into a large tribune that oversees additional courts, with outdoor sports amenities strategically laid under the nearby Pingyan Expressway flyover.
