Sporting Structures with a Lasting Impact

This year has been a bumper one when it comes to sporting spectacles. From the Paris Olympics to soccer, major sporting events hosted by countries worldwide present an incredible opportunity for a competitive event and a chance to showcase their commitment to sustainability.

These are opportunities for countries, communities, and cultures to highlight unique constructions with eco-conscious methods and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable building design.

Addressing climate action on a global stage

Today's sporting events have a responsibility to prioritise sustainability in their event operations, venues, and the structures they create. Sport has the power to bring people and nations together as well as support healthy lifestyles, foster social ties, and contribute to a country's economy and its built environment. Indeed, the Paris Olympics is an example of a sporting event contributing to a circular economy.

Sports in general are a key player for climate action and an integral part of many people's lives. Meanwhile, televised sporting events draw huge crowds from sponsorship deals and attract attention beyond its competitors, fans, and organisers. With global coverage, these events provide a highly-visible platform to support climate change via legacy structures with venues constructed using local materials and influenced by their natural environments. 

Lasting venues that champion sustainability

Olympic Games, in particular, have always held a rich history for inspiring architectural innovation. From the bird's nest design of Beijing's National Stadium to the sweeping curves of London's Aquatics Centre, Olympic venues have become iconic landmarks that define a city's skyline for generations to come. 

Zaha Hadid's London Aquatics Centre is renowned for its fluid, wave-like roof design. From a sustainability perspective the building was designed to be easily converted post-Olympics. It uses natural light extensively, reducing energy consumption, and the pool's filtration system recycles and purifies water, significantly reducing water usage. Materials were chosen for their durability and low environmental impact.

This year's Paris Olympics is no different with an impressive solar-powered Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis as their brilliant example of the city's commitment to sustainable construction. Their Aquatics Centre is the only permanent and lasting competition venue to have been designed specifically for the Games. Boasting a 5,000-seat capacity, it was built from wood and natural bio-based techniques for a low carbon footprint, carbon storage and a circular flow of water and energy.

Leading the way for future sports venue constructions, this project is a bold demonstration of using renewable energies combined with eco-friendly materials that are fit for purpose. The large-scale use of wood is a nod to the ideal blend of architecture with natural surroundings and biophilic elements that merge for an inside/outside arena with 'swimming pool coping tiles' made from natural stone.

Balancing nature and green designs in sports

As global awareness of environmental issues grows, sustainability has become a key focus in the design of sporting structures across sport. Increasingly, architects and designers are challenged to create venues that minimise environmental impact while maximising efficiency and comfort. Wimbledon, for instance, designed its retractable roof on Centre Court incorporating energy-efficient systems to reduce its carbon footprint. 

Similarly, golf course designers face unique challenges balancing the game with environmental concerns. Therefore, modern golf courses are increasingly focused on water conservation and habitat preservation with local plants rewilded to reduce maintenance requirements and enhance biodiversity. 

Clubhouses, greens and related structures are evolving, with many adopting biophilic design principles and advances in training and practice aids are needed to support players on and off greens, course architects have had to adapt, creating sustainable greens, techniques, and surfaces to accommodate greener shifts in the fairways and the game. 

Advocating for sustainable architecture

Major sporting events provide a unique opportunity for architects and designers to push the boundaries of the profession while being able to create structures and venues that serve the needs of the sport. They must also consider their long-term strategy and impact on the local community. This dual-purpose approach has led to some truly remarkable designs that continue to inspire after the closing ceremonies.

Visitors to cities such as Barcelona and London can marvel at their sporting heritage and see former Olympic venues, landmark stadiums and architectural sporting gems. European football championships, such as the Euros, have also played a significant role in shaping urban landscapes with host cities such as Denmark keen to flag sustainability in their events. 

The capital of Denmark is renowned for its ambitious climate and sustainability goals. For example, Copenhagen's four stadiums and arenas: Bella Arena, Royal Arena, the Ballerup Super Arena, and K.B Hallen have a wealth of eco-friendly features with Nordic wooden influences. Bella Arena stands out with its 360-degree approach to sustainability and has a DGNB Gold Certification certifying its green credentials. 

Elsewhere, host cities often use their events as a catalyst for urban regeneration, constructing not just stadiums but entire sports complexes and surrounding infrastructure. Real Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium and Wembley are two net-zero energy venues that prioritise sustainability and versatility. With sports stadiums around the world following suit to be greener, architects are creating multi-use venues with sustainability as a key mandate. 

Showcasing sporting architectural gems

World famous architects have created sporting venues and stadiums that have become a showcase for cutting-edge designs, including:

• Norman Foster’s Wembley Stadium included several eco-friendly elements. Its retractable roof allows for natural light and ventilation when weather permits. Meanwhile, rainwater harvesting systems are used for pitch irrigation and toilet flushing. The arch supporting the roof and retractable cover reduces the overall material needed for the structure, plus high-efficiency lighting and cooling systems were installed to reduce energy consumption.
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium sets new standards for sustainability in sports architecture with its stadium that uses 100% renewable energy and has implemented a 'zero to landfill' waste management programme. Its eco-conscious design incorporates a high percentage of recycled steel and aluminium. 
• The Beijing National Aquatics Center (Water Cube), is notable for its innovative approach to sustainability using an ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) bubble cladding that allows natural light to penetrate, reducing lighting needs. The unique insulation properties of the bubble design help maintain consistent temperatures, reducing heating and cooling needs.

These designs demonstrate that iconic, visually stunning architecture can also be environmentally responsible. They showcase how innovative thinking can lead to solutions that are both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable, and how large-scale sporting venues can minimise their environmental impact while still delivering world-class facilities for athletes and spectators.

Sporting structures support wider sustainability initiatives, inspiring generations as sporting architectural templates for future events and designs in venues throughout the world. By embracing new technologies, prioritising environmental considerations, and focusing on the long-term legacy, architects and designers can continue to use global sports events as platforms to create structures with a lasting impact.