The Rock Stadium
Location: Al Ain, UAE
Overview
Recognizing the powerful language of its surrounding and intelligently approaching the issue of scale and the intermittent use of the stadium architecture, the project sinks its 260,000m2 structure into the ground and turns the rocky mountain into one of its main features. It creatively works with the topography and relies on a series of emerging planes to mold the space and help cater for the 40,000 seats it provides. Sunken into the cooler depth of the desert sand, the stadium, like a hidden treasure, presents itself to the visitor as a series of sharply inclined planes emerging from the ground.