Designed by Toyo Ito, the dragon-shaped
50,000 seat arena is clad in 8,844 solar panels that illuminate the
track and field with 3,300 lux. The project will officially open later
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this year to welcome the 2009 World Games.
Building a new stadium
is always a massive undertaking that requires millions of dollars,
substantial physical labor, and a vast amount of electricity to keep it
operating. Toyo Ito’s design
negates this energy drain with a stunning 14,155 sq meter solar roof
that is able to provide enough energy to power the stadium’s 3,300
lights and two jumbo vision screens. To illustrate the incredible power
of this system, officials ran a test this January and found that it
took just six minutes to power up the stadium’s entire lighting system!
The stadium also integrates additional green features such as permeable paving and the extensive use of reusable, domestically made
materials. Built upon a clear area of approximately 19 hectares, nearly
7 hectares has been reserved for the development of integrated public
green spaces, bike paths, sports parks, and an ecological pond.
Additionally, all of the plants occupying the area before construction
were transplanted.
Non-sports fans in the community have a lot to jump up and down for as well. Not only does the solar
system provide electricity during the games, but the surplus energy
will also be sold during the non-game period. On days where the stadium
is not being used, the Taiwanese government plans to feed the extra
energy into the local grid, where it will meet almost 80% of the
neighboring area’s energy requirements. Overall, the stadium will
generate 1.14 million KWh per year, preventing the release of 660 tons
of carbon dioxide into atmosphere annually.
+ Toyo Ito
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