The Athletics Stadium at New Clark City in Tarlac has been shortlisted by the World Architecture Festival as one among the best completed buildings in the world.
The shortlist of entries was announced last July and those who made the shortlist will go on to compete in Lisbon this December.
The stadium is the first major sports hub constructed by the Philippine government since the completion of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in 1934, and is also the first-ever facility in the country to receive a Class 1 certification from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
With a 20,000-seating capacity, a nine-lane 400-meter track and field, and another four-lane warm-up track, the stadium served as a venue for the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019.
It was previously nominated as one of the top 10 best stadiums in the world at the annual Stadium of the Year Awards.
“The Athletics Stadium’s design was inspired by its genius loci [or the pervading spirit of a place]. It celebrates Mt. Pinatubo and Filipino resilience. The location is surrounded by beautiful mountains and a boundless horizon, which allowed the architecture to stand out and frame the natural views,” Royal Pineda, principal architect and CEO of Budji+Royal, said.
Now in its thirteenth year, World Architecture Festival is one of the world’s largest architectural events, highlighted by its awards competition dedicated to celebrating and sharing international excellence in architecture. Its deferred sister festival, the Inside World Festival of Interiors, will also take place in Lisbon this December.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both events did not take place in 2020.
All finalists will present to a panel for their respective categories and winners in each category will present again to compete for the top awards, the World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year, Interior of the Year and Landscape of the Year.
Vince Dizon, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the recognition and congratulated the architectural partner for the stadium as well as the thousands of workers who made the Athletics Stadium a reality.
Dizon said that the stadium was a recognition that Filipinos can also be champions in producing outstanding facilities that are at par with other architectural masterpieces in the world.
