A new and innovative stadium design at Qiddiya, the entertainment mega-city outside of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, is set to provide a fresh take on design for sports and entertainment venues. The new stadium, named after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will be perched on a cliff over Qiddiya and will host two of Saudi Arabia’s top football teams, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, and be one of the main stadiums for the World Cup in 2034 when Saudi Arabia hosts.
Architecture studio Populous revealed the design for the stadium in the Qiddiya entertainment district which will have a retractable roof and pitch and seat 45,000 people
One side of the stadium will be a large, retractable LED wall, which will be used to broadcast live events, films and laser shows. When retracted, it will reveal an opening that allows the pitch’s three-sided seating to overlook the 200-metre-high Tuwaiq cliff that the stadium is perched upon.
“It is set to be the world’s first fully integrated venue with a combined retractable roof, pitch and LED wall – an architectural innovation offering unparalleled versatility and allowing the space to transform into different event modes in a matter of hours,” said Populous.
The rest of the building have a geometric style, and will be covered with digital screens and appears to rise out of the cliffside in a series of staggered blocks.
“The stadium exterior is formed by a collection of modular cubes that act as an extension of the Tuwaiq cliff, framed by portals that glimpse into the future of the city,” said Populous senior principal Rhys Courtney.
“The cubes and portals spill down the cliff to create a massive digital canvas that interacts with users at different scales – from street-level vistas to the three-sided seating bowl experience, to citywide views – transcending the stadium typology.”
Qiddiya is one of 14 “giga-projects” — and will contain concert halls, a race track, a Jack Nicklaus-branded golf course and a Six Flags theme park with the world’s longest, tallest and fastest rollercoaster.
Populous designed the Buffalo Bills stadium in Buffalo, New York, as well as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the UK.
