In this episode, Cherise is joined by Christopher Lee, Senior Principal and Managing Director-EMEA at Populous in London.

Chris has worked around the world for major international sports clients and designed over 30 stadia on five continents. These projects include the main Stadium for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000; Europe’s first moving roof stadium the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales; the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal Football Club; and Aviva Stadium the Irish National Soccer in Dublin, Ireland.

Chris shares his insights into working on Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Inspired by the region’s history of brewing and steel manufacturing, the stadium’s self-supported tri-podal structure is sculptural in the Monterrey skyline.

You can see the project here as you listen along.

A natural ventilation system allows air to flow in via ‘gills’ in the façade, ventilating the stadium and keeping spectators and players cool and comfortable.

The cantilevered roof, which is a vast structure of 55 meters, also guarantees the utmost comfort and shade within the stadium. Its dramatic asymmetric sweeping form pays homage to the famous Cerro de la Silla Mountain, which frames the roof of the stadium.

This project had unique challenges and opportunities:

• incorporating passive solutions for sustainability,
• identifying materials that were suitable for the complex form,
• opportunity to infuse culture and the surrounding context into the design,
• and much more!

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