7 unusual sports facilities in the world

Did you know that a soccer stadium can be located in a rock and a tennis court on the roof of a hotel? If not, read on for a selection that is sure to impress you.

Beijing National Stadium, or “Bird’s Nest”.

The stadium is located in the Chaoyang district, within the Olympic Village. The multifunctional sports complex was built specifically for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

When creating the project, the architects faced two tasks: to make a unique design and a construction capable of withstanding an earthquake. Thanks to the latter, today the Bird’s Nest is the world’s largest steel structure and the most complex engineering building created for sporting events.

The highest point of the complex is at the height of a 20-story building (68.5 meters). Rows of stands are planned so that from any place you can see everything that happens on the field. Matches can be attended by up to 91 thousand spectators.

Now the stadium hosts championships in soccer, track and field, gymnastics and cultural events. In winter “Bird’s Nest” becomes an ice arena: there you can go ice skating, downhill skiing and biathlon. In 2022, the stadium is planned to host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games.

The building has a usual rectangular appearance, but the facade of the building attracts large colored graffiti. The building is divided into two wings. In the first, which used to be an experimental hall, rock climbing, skateboarding, parkour, vorkout, roller sports, self-cathing, basketball and soccer are practiced. In the second, a former laboratory, – dance, sound recording and street food.

Incidentally, most of the center’s materials have been reused or left untouched. Nevertheless, the old elements have harmoniously blended into the modern interior.

Bergisel ski jump in Austria

“Bergisel” is a training center and venue for ski jumping training and competitions in Innsbruck.

The first competitions were held in 1925. At that time, the structure was made of wood. Five years later, it was strengthened and made into the largest ski jump of the time. The Olympic flame was lit three times – in 1964, 1976 and 2012 – and the World Ski Championships were held several times.

The ski jump is 120 meters long and skiers can accelerate up to 92 km/h on the descent.

The structure is a popular tourist attraction and a modern symbol of Innsbruck, visible from many points in the city. From a height of 50 m above the peak of Mount Bergisel, travelers can enjoy panoramic views of the city, the Nordkette mountain range, the Intal valley and drink cocoa in a cozy cafe. And in winter, you can watch athletes practicing.

Golf Club in Aqaba, Jordan

You can often see skyscrapers against a backdrop of five-story houses, which cuts the eye. If you look at the Ayla Golf Academy & Clubhouse, this is unlikely to happen. The building does not look artificial at all. On the contrary, it blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, blending in with the scenery. From afar, it can be mistaken for a sand hill. The rusty tones echo the orange-gold colors of the nearby mountains.

The club is located in the desert, near the town of Aqaba. It is surrounded by an 18-hole course, and inside there is a store, restaurant, bar, banquet hall, fitness and spa. Here, guests retreat to nature and admire the elevated views.

Nearly the entire building is hand-built. To strengthen the connection with the local community, the architects used traditional mashrabiya patterned lattice. The interior was decorated by a Jordanian artist, giving the surfaces a “raw” look.

Swimming sports complex on the water in Shanghai, China

The complex was built on the site of a former industrial zone on the banks of the Huangpu River in 2011. The stadium is surrounded by white steel panels. According to the idea, they imitate the sails of ships. At the same time, the artificially created lakes lining the complex complement the water theme.

The center’s facilities can be used not only for swimming. For example, concerts, boxing, hockey, badminton and volleyball competitions are held there. In total, the sports center can accommodate 14 thousand people. However, with the help of removable seats, the number of guests can be increased to 18 thousand.

Municipal Stadium in Braga, Portugal

“Braga Munisipal”, or, as it is also called, “Pedreira” (from Portuguese – “quarry”) – is a soccer stadium located in the cliffs of Monte do Castro. It was designed to be a modern space for sports without disturbing the Portuguese landscape.

The unusual structure was first discovered in 2004 during the European Football Championship. The stadium hosted two matches of the group stage of the tournament: Bulgaria vs Denmark (0:2) and Netherlands vs Latvia (3:0). Today it is the home stadium of local club Braga.

Braga Munisipal is one of the most expensive Portuguese stadiums in terms of budget – it costs € 81 million. Every year the city additionally spends about € 13 million on stadium and pitch improvements.

Thanks to the non-standard design of the arena, the stadium attracts not only fans from all countries, but also ordinary tourists. By the way, Pedreira was inspired by the architecture of the ancient Incas of South America.

In 2005 Dubai hosted the Dubai Tennis Championships tennis tournament. Former world number one Roger Federer and the winner of eight Grand Slam tournaments, Olympic champion Andre Agassi stayed at the Burj Al Arab Hotel and played a few sets over the ocean.

Don’t worry – it’s impossible to fall off the court. There is a deep wire mesh stretched along the edge of the roof below. However, balls are not immune to falling down.

The court is used as a helipad on days when there are no matches on the court.