Among many things that the Romans and Greeks gave to the civilisation, the most enduring is perhaps their idea of how a sporting venue would look like. The modern stadiums might not resemble the Colosseum in Rome or the Pompei or the Stadium of Delphi in the strictest sense, but these monumental stadiums of the Greco-Roman era surely served as major inspiration. 

Although the idea of a sporting venue has changed over time, much has remained the same, most notably the basic structure, and the geometry of the venue. However, in the shifting circumstances, when technology is leaving an indelible impact on nearly every aspect of our lives, the sporting venues too are undergoing a seismic shift. 

The earlier designs rarely looked beyond the functionality of the stadium; but with time, they are changing. Accessibility and sustainability have become two major factors. To match the virtual experience, we see new stadiums giving more attention to the acoustics of the venue. We have seen clubs like Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspurs relocating to new stadiums. This is just the beginning of the trend. On that note, we look at some of the most futuristic stadiums that we can’t wait to see. 

AC Milan New Stadium

The ambitious plans of rejuvenating the iconic San Siro by AC Milan and Inter Milan couldn’t come to fruition after the city council vetoed the idea of demolishing the existing stadium because of its historical significance. Now AC Milan have come up with a new plan to create a state-of-the-art stadium in San Francesco. They have already submitted their project plans to the San Donato Milanese town council, and are waiting for approval. The new stadium will accommodate a crowd of 70,000 across two tiers and will have a sprawling museum and urban centre. 

Eco Park, Gloucestershire

Sustainability has become a core tenet of modern architecture, and keeping this in mind, Zaha Hadid Architects will be building the world’s first wooden stadium in Gloucestershire, for the football club Forest Green Rovers. It will be the greenest stadium in the world, built entirely from timber and powered by solar energy. The Forest Green Rovers currently play in the third tier of English football, and they were recently adjudged as the greenest football club by FIFA. 

Hangzhou International Sports Centre

Hangzhou recently hosted the 2023 edition of the Asian Games, where the athletes couldn’t stop marvelling at the gigantic lotus-shaped Olympic Sports expo centre. But the city will soon have a bigger and more sleek venue after Hangzhou International Sports Centre got the green light from the city’s tribunals. The layered design of the stadium is an ode to the bustling business of tea plantations in the city.

Santa Giulia Arena, Milan, Italy

For the 2026 Winter Olympics, Milan will be getting a 12,000-seat arena, designed by the renowned David Chipperfield Architects, in collaboration with the engineering partner Arup. The new arena can hold up to 16,000 people and will be hosting the flagship ice-hockey event. The elliptical outline is very similar to the amphitheatre, and the venue will also host musical concerts and other cultural events post-Olympics.

The New Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Although the fans are divided over FC Barcelona’s plan to demolish the Camp Nou, the new stadium is a significant improvement in terms of seating capacity and sustainability, and they have already won the International Architecture Award IAA 2023. The makeover will make Camp Nou the biggest stadium in Europe, housing more than 100k people.