Zanatepec Sports Centre by AIDIA STUDIO

Located in Santo Domingo Zanatepec, Oaxaca, within the Istmo of Tehuantepec region, the Zanatepec Sports Centre by AIDIA STUDIO is a strategic architectural intervention that restores and expands an existing municipal sports complex, transforming it into a multifunctional public space for recreation, training, and community gathering. Set amid extensive fruit orchards, particularly mango fields, and framed by distant views of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, the project responds directly to both its environmental context and social needs.

Revitalizing an Under-Served Sports Facility

Prior to the intervention, the site contained a professional soccer field and an amateur pitch managed by the local soccer league. However, it lacked the essential infrastructure typically associated with contemporary sports facilities, such as spectator seating, locker rooms, sanitary services, and shaded public areas. AIDIA STUDIO’s proposal addresses these deficiencies by introducing a comprehensive set of complementary programs that elevate the site from a functional field to a fully equipped sports and recreational centre.

The project includes a new access plaza, a 400-meter athletics track surrounding the main football field, and a 1-kilometer perimeter running path designed for joggers and casual visitors. Additional amenities such as children’s play areas and calisthenics zones reinforce the centre’s role as an inclusive public space serving diverse age groups and activities.

Architectural Organization and Accessibility

The main building is organized with efficiency and accessibility in mind. On the ground floor, it houses locker rooms for two teams, complete with showers, lockers, and bathrooms, all with direct access to the soccer field. This level also accommodates a cafeteria and public restrooms for spectators, connected through a generous shaded portico that protects users from the intense regional sun while creating a social threshold between interior and exterior spaces.

Above, the grandstand, designed to accommodate 400 spectators, is accessed via centralized stairs and lateral ramps, ensuring full accessibility for wheelchair users. This emphasis on universal design reinforces the project’s civic character and commitment to inclusive public infrastructure.

Structural Expression and Material Contrast

One of the defining architectural features of the Zanatepec Sports Centre is the expressive contrast between mass and lightness. A solid, pigmented concrete base anchors the building to the ground, while a lightweight metal structure rises above it, culminating in a striking modular roof system.

The grandstand is covered by a metal roof composed of hyperbolic paraboloid modules, a geometry that combines structural rigidity with visual lightness. This configuration allows for unobstructed views toward both the soccer field at the front and the basketball court located at the rear, enhancing the spectator experience while minimizing material use.

Craft, Materiality, and Local Identity

Material choices play a crucial role in defining the project’s identity. The concrete surfaces are finished with a parquet texture, adding tactility and visual depth. White-painted ironwork railings contribute a sense of lightness and clarity, while parota wood elements, used in lattices and pivoting doors along the lower portico, introduce warmth and a connection to local craftsmanship.

Together, these materials balance durability, climate responsiveness, and regional character, reinforcing the project’s relationship to its context while ensuring longevity and low maintenance.

A Civic Landmark for Santo Domingo Zanatepec

The Zanatepec Sports Centre stands as more than a renovation project; it is a civic landmark that strengthens social life through architecture. By combining sports infrastructure, public space, accessibility, and expressive structural design, AIDIA STUDIO delivers a project that responds to local needs while elevating the architectural quality of municipal facilities in southern Mexico.

All photographs are works of Rolando Rodriguez Leal