As Shijiazhuang's central business district undergoes a revitalization, MAD Architects' visionary Cloud 9 Sports Center emerges as a symbol of transformation. As the project's main architect, Ma Yansong, its efforts go beyond fulfilling its utilitarian role and display the essence of the city's great history and cultural legacy. It spans around 6000 square meters, and the visible effort is its cohesion and invigorating plans for athletics and recreation.
Nature-Inspired Design
The appearance of Central Park in Shijiazhuang gives the impression that it was created to live side by side with the beautiful scenic line. The building, being covered in transparent skin, looks as a 'cloud' with light present inside, just imaging the park surrounding it. Embedding core beliefs of accessibility and community engagement, we plan a firm setup of outside courts and open parks around the actual building to represent the ease with nature. The first groundbreaking of the project is set for March 2024, which is being anticipated with great hopes in the city that Cloud 9 will be completed in 2025.
Functionality and environmental sustainability form the cornerstone of MAD Architects' design ethos for the Cloud 9 Sports Center. Strategically positioned cooling towers on the second floor optimize air circulation, while the first-floor roof extends towards the park, partially cloaked in greenery to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.
MAD Architects' innovative vision extends beyond mere functionality, shaping the Cloud 9 Sports Center into a beacon of urban innovation. Public spaces within the facility offer panoramic views and seamless integration with the cityscape. An alternative staircase that partially leads to an outdoor area provides an open space and a third-floor roof for tourists 'involvement' in the beauty of Shijiazhuang. While the pool on the fourth floor is accessible through an enclosed glass wall with blinds for privacy, the gym on the top floor, on the other hand, the 100% transparent glass curtain wall, offers a sense of openness and union with its surroundings.
In the mind of the Cloud 9 Sports Center, we have the bullet point of concern for the environment. Even more than that, it's so important for us to engage in the community. Energy conservation and environmental consciousness are the highlighted aspects of this envisioned building through the addition of cooling towers and green roofs in a strategic manner; the building facade, which consists of ETFE skin with metallic coating, reflected the same of the park surroundings, giving the site visual impact and has blended sports center into its natural environment.
The sports center, also known as the Cloud 9 Sports Center, is a community facility with a multidimensional role as the civic center of activity where people can enjoy leisure and recreational activities. From open courts and terraced squares to local sights, observatory decks, a unique circular track, and so on, the project design would surely get the most out of the recreational space for social interaction and wellness. The project is intended to have Softline aesthetics, focus on sustainability, and be an accessible prime setup for the city's central business district. With this project in place, Shijiazhuang will leave an ever-lasting mark on the city's panorama and aura.