populous-designed arena das dunas in brazil now open

‘arena das dunas stadium’ by populous, rio grande do norte, brasil
image © populous

the international stadium designers, populous, have just inaugurated their newest sports venue in natal, rio grande do norte. the ‘arena das dunas’ will host four group stage matches during the 2014 FIFA world cup with a capacity to hold 42,000  people with 10,600 removable seats. the design came largely from the town’s topography of gently flowing dunes, adopting the subtle undulations cut by a series of voids that house the vertical circulation exposed to the exterior of the curved white walls. the resulting effect is 20 petal-like solid modules made of steel trusses, insulated, and clad in aluminum tiles. the concrete plinth that supports the structure will host public events alongside the stadium itself which will feature sports games, trade shows and concerts on the 22,000 m2 footprint of the site. the project is not only a new standard in sporting event arenas but is also expected to bring a new image and quality of life to the community. the building was finished three days ahead of schedule and now ready to host what are slated to be some of the most watched matches of the world cup.

image © populous

image © populous