FC kuban stadium in russia aims to intimidate

FC kuban stadium in russia aims to intimidate
all images courtesy of AFL

FC kuban, one of the oldest football clubs in russia will be housed in a new dynamic stadium by AFL. the 45,000 seat stadium will meet UEFA and FIFA standards in addition to hosting outdoor concerts and recreational programming. first and foremost a football club, the design is rooted in the riverside city of krasnodar and sports its industrial architectonic language. the stadium resists the archetype of sports arena in the use of an offset, faceted skin whose angular panels aim to intimidate. architect and director of sports john roberts explains:

‘we intend to create an stadium that the opposition will be afraid of visiting – the 12th man – where all of the 45,000 supporters are ‘on the pitch’. in section, the building brings the supporters close to the pitch whilst the upper tier spectators tower over the pitch, all of this is reinforced by the angular roof, cowering, as if it’s a cheetah ready to pounce on the opposition.’

resisting the archetype of the stadium, golden plates are offset from a ring-like interior volume

drawing from both the language of russian constructivism and form of the river-fed wheat fields, the golden petals seem to unfurl to reveal the exciting program

the distinguishable golden envelope draws from the work of russian artist and architect el lissitsky in that the geometric plates abstract the field patterns of river-fed wheat using the formal vocabulary of russian futurism and constructivism. the effect of the tiled skin wrapping around the seating bowl and broken by shadowed openings is striking and creates an imposing mark on the cityscape, while still negotiating ecological needs in form of a significant parkland for picnicking. considerate engineering also plays an important role in the monumental urban work– the sound of 45,000 cheering football fans will be retained by a curved roof and effective prevent resonance, while an integrated podium will serve a variety of commercial activities. interior circulation is dictated by planimetric rings, complete with VIP suites, hospitality lounges and unrivaled views of the exciting happenings on the field.

avenue-like promenades lead to the glazed and tile-clad volume