1. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
Svante Berg
I am a practising architect designing sports facilities now and then. I would like to focus this short presentation on a few design views concerning the public image of the sport facility and the exterior architecture. .
Architect SAR/MSA, RIBA
CEO Berg Arkitektkontor
UIA Sport & Leisure Programme
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

2. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
Political
Sky line
I would like to address four types of sports facilities which in themselves are important buildings in the city space
The 1st type is The Political manifestation facility
The 2nd type is The prominent City skyline facility
The 3rd type is Commercial development facility
The 4th type is the Local community facility as a redevelopment “engine”
There are of course many other aspects to consider when designing sports facilities such as
the purpose of the facility,
the type of Client/Operator and their ambitions,
the location and the reason for building the facility and
of course the ambition of the architect.
I will illustrate my thoughts with a couple of projects I have designed.
Commercial
Local
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

3. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
First the political manifestation facility project which is the seat Olympic Stadium designed for the Stockholm proposal for the 2004 Olympic Games.
The facility was to be located in an existing manmade hill with temporary stands using the hill slopes as support. The Stadium would have been dominating the area and visible in the Stockholm skyline. .
Political type: Stockholm 2004 Olympic Stadium
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

4. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
Only half of the seats were to be permanent, because the after use was designed to be an indoor multipurpose Arena seating spectators.
Stockholm 2004 Olympic Stadium proposal
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

5. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
Here we see the temporary seats gone and the Grand Stand roof extended thus creating a roof for the indoor arena.
It would have been both a national statement as well as a statement from the City of Stockholm of the same impact as the, still in use, 1912 Stockholm Olympic Stadium had at the time.
Stockholm 2004 converted Stadium
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

6. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
The Stockholm Globe Arena was opened in 1989 and it is a typical dominant city skyline facility.
The political intention of building the arena was to stimulate the southern region of Stockholm City both economically and culturally .
The spherical shape is a Stockholm signature today and very significant in the skyline, visible from long distances…and
Skyline-Stockholm Globe Arena
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

7. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
…. from significant parts of the city
Skyline-Stockholm Globe Arena
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

8. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
The financing of the commercial type facility depends on the market location for non commercial activities such as offices, shops and leisure. The City of Stockholm financed the Globe Arena, seating , by a barter deal with private commerce– the City was given the Arena as the price for the commercial building rights in the Arena Area.
Today a new multipurpose arena seating is being studied. This time it is not a skyline project but a practical solution to meet the modern requirements put on the existing old but popular football stadium next to the Globe Arena. More building rights on the land occupied by the old stadium are thus freed for commercial development.
Commercial type- the Globe Area
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

9. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
A typical local redevelopment project is the proposal for an indoor athletics and football practising arena to be located right in the middle of a middle class residential suburb of Stockholm.
Creative structural engineering hand in hand with esthetical design gave this minimised and thin structure. In order to reduce the impact of the scale of the building we suggested to cover the curved part of the tracks with a dome with natural green cover.
Function and adaptation to local residents were the chief objectives for this design.
Local type: Indoor Athletics and football Arena
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

10. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
The last example is also a local redevelopment type facility initiated by private capital. In a dense urban city area an existing outdoor sports area were to be developed partly with well needed residential buildings.
In exchange for the building rights replacing one soccer field the city will achieve well needed sport halls as an underground sports facility with a soccer field on its roof at ground level.
It is financially viable for the City of Stockholm but politically sensitive.
In this picture we can see the only elevation visible which is the entrance side facing the only street next to the site. Lots of glass permits daylight to penetrate down to the 3 underground sports halls. On top you can see a small stand for 1200 spectators.
Underground Sports facilities - Stockholm
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor

11. Sportaccord 2003Madrid May 12 -13 / Designing for Sport
The floor area of three major indoor halls will be some 15m underground.
Designing a sports facility is not only about exterior architecture and public image though they are sometimes made so important that they threaten to destroy the operational viability.
The success of a sport facility depends on the acceptance from the
event makers/operators,
the actors/sports people
and the spectators/public
I hope that these views of mine will contribute to the coming discussion.
Roof top soccer field - Stockholm
Sportaccord/UIA
Svante Berg, Berg Arkitektkontor