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Site Plan

The calabash, or ‘melting pot of African cultures'- Soccer City Stadium.

Laminated fiber reinforced concrete panels gives the facade an earth feel.

Illuminated Soccer City Stadium in night.

Encircling corridor space around the stadium highlighting the façade cladding and access ramp.

View showcasing the embankments and tiers of the stadium.

Inclined concrete columns enveloping the stadium.

The calabash, or ‘melting pot of African cultures'- Soccer City Stadium.

Site Plan

Laminated fiber reinforced concrete panels gives the facade an earth feel.

Illuminated Soccer City Stadium in night.

Encircling corridor space around the stadium highlighting the façade cladding and access ramp.

View showcasing the embankments and tiers of the stadium.

Inclined concrete columns enveloping the stadium.

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Collaborating with UK-based Populous Architects, South African architectural firm Boogertman + Partners re-designed the big football stadium - ‘Soccer City Stadium’ at Johannesburg.

"The calabash, or ‘melting pot of African cultures', sits on a raised podium, on top of which is located a ‘pit of fire'. Thus the pot sits in a depression, which is the ‘pit of fire', as if it were being naturally fired," reads the info docket

Architect Bob Van Bebber’s fifteen year old undergraduate thesis proposal for a World Cup stadium once criticised by the professors by calling it as a project for engineers saw the ray of light when Boogertman + Partners were comissioned Soccer City Stadium project in Johannesburg, which was originally built in 1987. The existing stadium, which was first constructed in 1987 consisted a playing field surrounded by embankment seating, two levels of corporate hospitality suites, and an elevated seating tier on the western side only. The new design of stadium can accommodate 84,490 spectators — the biggest in African continent. The circular plan format of the pot, which encircle the rectangular seating bowl and field borrows its inspiration from the calabash or ‘melting pot of African culture’, a traditional African gourd pot, and its bowl-like appearance.

The stadium structure has three tiers, lower embankment, upper embankment and two skybox and the upper tier. Accessibility to the lower embankment and the upper embankment is through a common concourse whereas, the skybox and upper tier is accessible through escalators and eight ramps placed at eight major junctions of encircled corridor.  Architects have paid special attention while demarcating the zones for commoner, VIPs, and players. Separate entry and exit points have been designated to avoid any inconveniences to its users. All the VIP areas, lobbies, hospitality areas and stadium management offices are located in the western precinct of the stadium complex. Green rooms for players are equipped with all the modern amenities like separate shower areas, locker rooms and other amenities include separate bus drop access routes to avoid any kind of inconvenience for the players, their admires and media journalists. Green rooms are well connected with media auditorium for the easy access of officials, players and VIPs.

The existing concrete structure was limited in its ability to carry the additional roof load imposed on it as per the new roof design, hence the design team decided to replace the existing roof structure and added 40m high, twelve off-shutter rectangular concrete shafts and sixteen circular columns of meter diameter to transfer the excess load from the existing concrete structure.

The façade structure is supported on 120 inclined concrete columns enveloping the stadium. Each column is 16.3m height, with horizontal eccentricity of 6.5m with its base designed to withstand large moments and upward loads. All columns are connected with tie beams which act in ring tension so as to limit long-term deflection of the columns and façade structure.

The materials employed for the application on external façade comprise of laminated fiber reinforced concrete panels, in eight earthy colours in sandblasted and honed surface finishes that symbolised the shades and textures of the calabash. The pot like facade is punctured by open and glazed panels which create expressive pattern on the façade that comes into its own when the inner volumes are illuminated. The façade is articulated by ten vertical slots which are aligned geographically with the nine other stadiums constructed across the South Africa for the FIFA World Cup 2010, as well as the Berlin Stadium making up the tenth line where the previous World Cup was hosted. These lines are representative of the ‘Road to the Final’ after the World Cup. A visit to the stadium will thus provide one with a full history of the World Cup and all its scores. The story of the “Road to the Final” is based on the tradition of pattern.

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