Saudi Arabia has revealed the 11 soccer stadiums it plans to build as part of its bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup — and one of them looks like it came out of a video game. The Neom Stadium would be located within the country’s dystopian smart city at more than 350 meters (383 yards) above the ground.
Saudi Arabia proposes World Cup stadium straight out of a cyberpunk dystopia
The Neom Stadium will sit inside the country’s linear smart city at more than 350 meters off the ground.
The Neom Stadium will sit inside the country’s linear smart city at more than 350 meters off the ground.
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You’ll instantly notice the polygonal shapes making up the roof of the stadium, with the fractured pieces creating a mirror above those seated within the beehive-like setup. The Neom Stadium will be able to hold 46,000 people and “run entirely on renewable energy, generated primarily from wind and solar sources.” Construction is expected to be completed in 2032.
It looks like the stadium’s aesthetic will fit right in with The Line, the 106-mile-long linear city surrounded by reflective walls with a vertical housing system, a high-speed rail, and “100% renewable energy.” Saudi Arabia has been criticized for reportedly using lethal force to clear villages in the path of The Line as well as concern over the amount of resources that it will need for construction.
The country has also been accused of “sportswashing,” or the act of bolstering a government’s reputation by using a major sporting event like the World Cup to gain positive attention from the media. Saudi Arabia has faced similar criticism over its plans to hold the first Olympic Esports Games.
Aside from the Neom Stadium, Saudi Arabia is planning to build the three-tiered Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium (pictured above) on the side of a cliff surrounded by colored glass and LED screens. Of course, these are just renders, and the real thing could end up looking entirely different.
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