Kunshan Olympic Sports Center / gmp Architects

With the opening match of the Chinese FA Super Cup, the new Football Stadium in Kunshan was officially inaugurated on February 7. More than 30,000 fans gathered for the local derby between Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Port. In a thrilling finale, Shanghai Shenhua secured victory with two goals in the last three minutes, successfully defending their Super Cup title — bringing the first major soccer event in the new arena to a fitting conclusion. The stadium, named Kunshan Olympic Sports Center, was designed by the architects von Gerkan, Marg, and Partners (gmp) in collaboration with the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tongji University. With a capacity of 45,000 seats, the arena meets FIFA Category 1 standards as a very large professional football venue, making it suitable for major international competitions.