The UK-based Zaha Hadid Architects recently announced that it won the bid to design the Hangzhou International Sports Center in Yuhang district.

The center will be located in the Hangzhou Sci-Tech City and mainly consist of a 60,000-seat football field, a 19,000-seat indoor stadium, and an 800-seat aquatic center with a 50-meter standard swimming pool on both sides.

The complex will feature many levels, like the tea terrace fields commonly seen around Hangzhou.

The football stadium will meet FIFA standards, and the seats will be designed to bring spectators as close as possible to the sports field, ensuring they have an unobstructed view of the game.

The facade of the stadium will also be open to the exterior with louvers providing shelter and terraces where people can enjoy a variety of food and beverages with a panoramic view of the city.

The three establishments will be connected via a tiered platform, while the entire complex will be connected to Hangzhou Metro Lines 3 and 5, making it more accessible from every corner of the city.

Environment-friendly concepts have been integrated into the design, as the complex achieves the highest 3-Star rating of China's Green Building Program, with each venue providing optimal conditions using natural hybrid ventilation most of the year.

Zaha Hadid Architects is an architecture and design firm founded by Zaha Hadid (1950–2016), an Iraqi-British architect, artist, and designer recognized as a major figure in the architecture field and described by the Guardian as the "Queen of the curve".

The center is the firm's latest foray into sports architecture in China, following its work on the London Aquatic Centre and the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar.

"Accommodating Hangzhou's growing population, the center provides a variety of facilities for amateurs and professional athletes alike," said Zaha Hadid Architects.