Gazprom Arena
Kisho Kurokawa (original design) + later Russian project teams · Saint Petersburg, Russia · 2017
Gazprom Arena occupies the former Kirov Stadium site on Krestovsky Island. Kisho Kurokawa’s competition-winning concept proposed a hovering circular bowl beneath a retractable roof, with external pylons giving the stadium a highly recognizable profile. The design was extensively revised during a long construction process, but the central ideas of a large enclosed arena, retractable roof and movable pitch were retained. Opened in 2017, the stadium became one of Russia’s principal contemporary sports venues and an important example of the technical and political complexity surrounding mega-event architecture.