Concept For A Nature Inspired Stadium Design

  August Sky

      Its almost mid-August. Have you noticed how beautiful the evenings have become? The sky is a lovely blue in color with floating white, puffy clouds, like cotton! At times there is a chill in the air, which makes you want to cherish these last few weeks of Summer before the Fall officially begins. With all this happening in the sky, mother earth has responded with glee by giving birth to Sunflowers. This year the Olympics have also begun at the same time. Sunflowers and Olympics in the same period of the year have inspired me to write this post. Now let me take you with me on a vicarious journey to stadiums, in different times.

TIME PASSAGES

      The design of large scale structures like stadiums, are a reflection of the times we live in. In the ancient times the Romans and the Greeks built them. The Romans were warriors who liked to display their power and might by creating grandiose architecture. The Colosseum is a typical example of the same. The Greeks too were warriors and conquerors but they were also thinkers, scholars and intellectuals. They too built on a grand scale, but their approach displayed a modesty in their power. They built grand amphitheaters submerged in the ground. The motive was to make the event outshine the architecture quite like the painting outshining the frame!

      In 1982 New Delhi was host to the Asian Games. It was a very exciting time for me as I was a first year student of Architecture. With a lot of awe and wonder I got to witness the final construction phases of two stadiums. It was fascinating to see an indoor stadium and an open-air stadium come to life with the celebration of the first event in each.

      In 1989-90, as part of my Master’s thesis in Architecture, I designed a multi-purpose arena with a capacity of 25,000 people, at I.I.T. (Chicago). Light shall be shed on it in a future post. But for now it is exciting to witness the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, being held in stadiums which display awesome designs. One look at them and anyone can tell that a new era has arrived. One looks like a bird’s nest and another looks like a giant foam mattress ! Behind every grand piece of architecture is a simple idea for inspiration.

      Now back to Sunflowers. The raw green buds are slowly opening the concentric circles of green sepals. It looks very dramatic.  It inspires me to design a stadium! Let me explain. Its circular center looks like a giant arena. The sepals look like a multi-layered, retractable roof! When the event is over the roof closes in, over the arena creating yet another dramatic form. The operable roof creates a dynamic sensuality in the architectural design. As a nature inspired design, its a beautiful concept for a future stadium. It has potential for other applications too. For instance if you consider just an arc from the periphery, it would make a lovely band stand for an outdoor music concert in Summer or a distinguished wedding podium for an outdoor wedding. Imagination has no limits! Here are some photos of these raw Sunflowers buds, from different angles. They make the concept visibly clear. With this I hope that some architects in London get to see this post, before they start designing a stadium for the 2012 Olympics

Ratna

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Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.

- James Allen

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