Field hockey stadium for Hangzhou 2022 nears completion

HANGZHOU - The roof of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games field hockey stadium was completed here on Monday.

With a total construction area of 13,433 square meters, the hockey field consists of a basement and two above-ground levels.

The 5,000-seat open-air stadium has a translucent wing roof. Inspired by the traditional Chinese oil-paper-and-bamboo umbrella, the roof shades the stands and the field.

Wu Mingxi, one of the project leaders, told Xinhua that PTFE was used as the material for the wing roof, which has the advantages of being lightweight and self-cleaning, and having high light transmittance and unique optical features.

However, it also brought about some difficulties for the workers.

"The installation can only be carried out after 11 o'clock on sunny days in winter. If there was water, it would be easy to slip on the roof. To ensure the safety of our workers, we need to wait for the water to evaporate," Wu said.

The construction of the stadium will now move to the stage of paving the lawn.

The playing field itself is set into a recessed oval-shaped grass plain that doubles as a landscape feature and can be converted to host outdoor events after the Games end, including concerts, night markets, and community gatherings.