Shanghai Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center
Shanghai Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center is planned as an international sports event center to symbolize development of the outskirts of Shanghai City, in Min-hang District. It is expected to create a world-class tennis center compared with the Wimbledon in London and the Roland Garros in Paris on a 15ha site. We aimed to realize the city's development into movable roof system for the main stadium in this sports center, which is introduced for sports stadiums for the first time in China. The national flower of China is Paeonia suffruticosa, therefore, we designed and proposed a beautiful international tennis sports center as the main stadium is like the flower.
Since the city has much rain and strong sunshine, the roof system is considered to be necessary. The movable roof system is extremely simple but the movement system is taken for the first time in the world. The roof opens like flowering. When the roof opens, many sunshades are given around the stadium. It will offer comfortable environments like shades given by trees for people gathering inside and outside of the stadium.
When spectators walk over the gate, they look up the upside down conic-shaped main stadium with much excitement. They climb up a gentle slope and approach to the stadium. From the top of the slope, a deck spreads out and they can see many courts for qualifying events. While a plaza is set up around the main stadium, many shops and cafe are provided so that people can enjoy shopping and eating. Gentle steps are provided between the deck and courts for qualifying events and the place will be used for resting. Under the consideration to the surrounding environment, rich green belt is provided in the site so that visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers.
The movement line of visitors is considered a circulation in the whole site and is planned not only for enjoying the games but also enjoying eating, shopping and taking photos to make lots of memories.
The stadium with capacity for 15,000 spectators is Colosseum-shaped. The design was determined for producing players' sense of unity with spectators. As section shows, rooms for players and administrators are on the first floor. Confluence of spectators is separated from their areas. In the summer, cold air comes down from the top of the building to the floor of the round stadium. In the winter, warmed air by ducting system under spectators' seats is sent directly to spectators. It aims to offer comfortable environments with minimum maintenance cost. The structure of the stadium, called 'tension ring structure' creates strong and reliable Colosseum-shape.
The movable roof of the main stadium consists of eight petals and each petal turns around on one fulcrum at the same time. Under the petals, there is a round truss, which has an inverted triangle section, and it supports petals. Each petal can move by one fulcrum and three rails, and the total consists of cantilever beam. It brings ability of enough strength into full play even wind blowing during Typhoon.
Night is also the time when the tennis center is brightened up. The external form of the stadium is lighted up and a disk with lights comes out. For players and visitors, the flower stadium will remain as a worldwide tennis center in their good memories.
http://www.mdolla.com/2008/01/mitsuru-senda-shanghai-qizhong-forest.html