Populous was delighted to team up with National Geographic magazineto imagine a vision of the future for stadium design, exploring how technology will transform the spectator experience. 

For the magazine’s July issue and entitled ‘The Stadium of Tomorrow’, Populous conceived a self-sustaining, highly connected and versatile arena that is more of an eco-village of sport and recreation than a traditional sports stadium. The vision capitalizes on infrastructure required for a sports stadium, creating a multi-use, multi-experiential ecosystem with a plethora of sports and recreation opportunities ranging from traditional field sports such as athletics, football and ice hockey to non-typical stadium sports such as extreme sports, sailing, surfing and e-sports. The vision extends as far as the stadium of tomorrow being a place where people live, work and play.

Jason Treat, senior graphics editor at National Geographic, said: “Stadiums have a long and interesting history, and each architectural innovation has changed the way people come together for large sporting and cultural events. This experiment allows our readers to see how architects and designers engage with how people use these spaces. It also gives us context for how problems are solved and pulls back the curtain a bit on how stadiums are designed, allowing our readers to see the process behind innovations that they could encounter in the future.”

To sustain a high level of digital infrastructure, the Stadium of Tomorrow will look towards creating a fully self-sufficient ecosystem. The stadium roof will provide space to institute sustainable technologies such as solar, tidal, wind power and kinetic energy harvesting electricity from the movement of the spectators on a large scale, with enough room left for water collection and a rooftop garden. Guests will help: their food waste would be recycled via biodigesters into fuel and compost.

Christopher Lee, Populous MD EMEA, said: “The viewing experience within a stadium environment has not fundamentally changed since Vespasian ordered the construction of the Colosseum almost 2,000 years ago. Technology and information technology is literally changing the playing field and providing an opportunity to create a new vision for both the experience of watching and playing sport but also for the role a stadium can play as a significant urban influencer.”

The Stadium of Tomorrow will also be highly interactive, employing LED technology and augmented reality to bridge the gap between the three participants in any sports event; the fan, the remote fan and the player experience. In the future, the crowd may be able to share their emotions through LED clothing or even experience what the players are feeling. Fans in smart-kit might feel the heartbeats of their favorite player or light up in colors to reflect the mood of the game.

Read more at Populous London.

Image Credits: JASON TREAT AND RYAN T. WILLIAMS, NGM STAFF. HISTORICAL STADIUMS ART: HAISAM HUSSEIN. HISTORICAL STADIUMS SOURCES: GERAINT JOHN, POPULOUS; STADIUMDB.COM. FUTURE STADIUM CONCEPT: POPULOUS. FUTURE STADIUM ART: INK. COPYRIGHT © 2017 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS, LLC