Client:
Tianjin Economic
Development
Agency (TEDA)
Investment Holding
Co. Ltd.
Project Duration:
April 2002–
June 2004
Contract Value:
$55 million
Parsons
Responsibilities:
conceptual design,
final design, and
construction
management
Boasting the latest in stadium technology, January 2002, and the final design and con-
TEDA Soccer Stadium opened in Tianjin, struction management was awarded in April
China, on May 15, 2004. The Parsons stadium 2002. The soccer stadium is the first project
project is one of the first in China to have for which a Chinese state-owned company
a field sized to meet Federation Interna- hired only one firm—Parsons—to provide the
tional Football Association (FIFA), Olympic, conceptual design, final design, and construc-
and World Cup play. tion management.
Parsons, in conjunc-
tion with architec- T h e p ro j e c t w a s
tural firm Peddle built under TEDA
Thorp Architects, Bidding Bureau regu-
based in Melbourne, lations; thus Parsons
Australia; designed was required to work
and built the sta- under very detailed
dium. The Parsons and time-consuming
team also included bidding procedures.
Connell Mott Mac- The process includ-
Donald, engineer- ed everything from
ing consultants from Inside the stadium, looking from visiting and vetting
Melbourne, Austra- the end zone. all potential bidders,
lia, Page Kirkland, quantity surveyors from creating bid evaluation criteria specific for
Sydney, Australia, and Shanghai; Tianjin each contract, performing technical evalu-
Architects and Engineering Consultants; the ations, and scoring the bids for acceptabil-
Chinese Design Institute, and inspectors and ity to participate in the financial bid open-
administrative staff provided by the client. ing. On occasion, rebids were necessary.
The completed stadium has a capacity of The stadium is a structure of curved col-
35,000; most of the seating is under the roof umn frames that arch round the back of
and in the east and west portions of the the stadium seating areas and form masts
stadium. The stadium provides excellent above the suspended roof. The curved roof
views of the playing field from any angle. trusses are suspended by tension cables from
these masts. The resulting curved shape
The $55-million project was awarded in of the stands and roof gives the complex a
two stages. The initial master plan and con- high-tech look. The architecture is unique
cept design of the stadium was awarded in and creates visual impact for the project.
PARSONS
November 2004 www.parsons.com
TEDA Soccer Stadium November 2004
Upper left and Parsons de- challenges in managing the
far right: Parsons signed level construction. These challeng-
designed a large
lagoon, which one of the soc- es included communications
is surrounded cer stadium to and mutual understanding,
by a walkway include soccer the requirement for inter-
and elegant
club offices, national standards (as com-
promenade.
retail, players pared with local standards),
Center: The rooms, and VIP parking; levels two and four work methodology, and quality control.
stadium is a for general admission seating; level three for
structure of
curved column VIP function rooms and super boxes; and Safety was the number one priority: ag-
frames that arch the final level encompasses the corners for gressive and continuous attention to safety
round the back plant rooms. All public concourse levels have resulted in over 10 million accident-free
of the stadium
seating areas and natural ventilation. The super boxes, adminis- manhours for the project. Throughout the
form masts above tration, player, umpire and official, and press SARS epidemic, Parsons maintained strict
the suspended areas have both heating and cooling systems. health and safety conditions, which al-
roof.
lowed for continued construction. Local
The scope of work went well beyond the officials praised Parsons’ commitment to
stadium design and construction. The overall safety and its ability to provide guide-
project is known as the TEDA Promenades, lines to keep workers healthy and safe.
and the master plan serves as the basis for
future development of the site. Adjacent to Tianjin is located on the Bohai Sea, 85 miles
the stadium, Parsons designed a large lagoon, east of Beijing. Tianjin, a city of ten million
which is surrounded by a walkway and el- people, is one of four municipalities di-
egant promenade. One of the goals of TEDA rectly under the Chinese central government.
Promenades is to move beyond industrial
development and manufacturing to improve The stadium was built for the TEDA soccer
the quality of life within the region. Parsons’ team, which plays in the Chinese Premier
master plan includes an 80,000-square-me- League. In addition to soccer, the facility sup-
ter retail complex, 5,000 units of high-rise ports other public and cultural events, includ-
residential units, theme-park-type water ing concerts. The Parsons team completed
features, and a sports and aquatic center. In the project within the budget and in time to
addition, the TEDA Promenades is served by host the league opener for the 2004 season.
a high-speed rail station—which Parsons also
designed—that connects TEDA with Tianjin.
The complex was constructed using a 100
percent local workforce. It was the first time
that many of the contractors had worked
with a foreign firm, and this posed many
PARSONS
www.parsons.com