{"id":234072,"date":"2026-01-08T10:53:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T10:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/234072\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T10:53:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T10:53:10","slug":"soba-designs-colourful-sports-park-informed-by-local-opera-costumes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/234072\/","title":{"rendered":"SoBA designs colourful sports park informed by local opera costumes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Architecture studio SoBA Architects<\/a> has designed the Huachiao Vibrant Sports Park<\/a> in China<\/a>, whose shape was informed by the flowing “water sleeves” used in the costumes for Kunqu operas.<\/p>\n

Located in Suzhou’s Kunshan district, the 6,000-square-metre sports park comprises two basketball courts<\/a>, a skatepark<\/a>, table tennis tables, a pavilion<\/a> and a children’s playground<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"HuachiaoThe sports park is located in Suzhou’s Kunshan district<\/p>\n

Its design draws inspiration from the so-called water sleeves<\/a> used in Kunqu operas, which originated in the Kunshan area. The extended, ribbon-like white sleeves are attached to the opera costumes to create more dramatic performances.<\/p>\n

Local studio SoBA<\/a> reinterpreted the concept of flowing Kunqu water sleeves in the contemporary urban landscape<\/a>, blending the fluid movement into the park’s terrain, while also using it to connect various functional zones.<\/p>\n

\"HuachiaoThe flowing form of the park was informed by Kunqu’s water sleeves<\/p>\n

“This approach not only infuses the site with a distinct cultural identity but also enhances spatial legibility and interaction,” explained SoBA.<\/p>\n

The skatepark specifically features a sculptural “white ribbon” skate zone made of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), to ensure the strength and durability of skateboarding surfaces while creating a sense of lightness and visual fluidity that is consistent with the water sleeves concept.<\/p>\n

\"HuachiaoThe skate zone features a “white ribbon” made of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC)<\/p>\n

The colour scheme of the park follows the same concept, with the white skatepark serving as the visual and spatial core, while a combination of blue, orange, and pink colours cover the basketball courts and table tennis tables to create a dynamic look.<\/p>\n

“The overall colour scheme strikes a balance between vibrancy and restraint, echoing the park’s name and cultural theme while creating a friendly, open, and dynamic public space for surrounding residents,” SoBA told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

\"HuachiaoBasketball courts are painted in dynamic colours<\/p>\n

Visitors of all ages are welcome to explore the exercise facilities, which were designed to cater to a variety of physical conditions and let people move freely between zones.<\/p>\n

In addition to professional sports facilities, the park also features plenty of seating, shaded areas and open activity spaces to encourage interaction among people.<\/p>\n

“As a community hub for public activities, the Vibrant Sports Park emphasises inclusivity and social engagement,” said SoBA.<\/p>\n

“The design priorities accessibility and adaptability, ensuring that users of all physical abilities can find suitable ways to engage with the space,” it continued.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/p>\n

SoBA draws on “curves and rhythm” of music for The Orchestra Park in China\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

The park has a diverse range of native trees and shrubs, which were selected based on local climate and soil conditions to promote biodiversity while reducing maintenance costs.<\/p>\n

According to the studio, the park maximises the green coverage by optimising plant configurations, which helps improve air quality, regulate the microclimate and enhance the site’s ecological adaptability.<\/p>\n

\"HuachiaoShaded seating areas invites visitors of all ages<\/p>\n

“The Vibrant Sports Park is not only a landscape project that integrates traditional culture with modern sports but also a future-oriented practice in community public space,” the studio concluded.<\/p>\n

Founded in 2018 by Ruo Wang and Haiyin Tang in New York, SoBA Architects has offices in Suzhou and Seattle.<\/p>\n

It recently completed a cafe and florist shop within a foldable box<\/a> and another urban park informed by the “curve and rhythm” of local music<\/a>, both in Kunshan.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Holi unless otherwise stated.<\/p>\n

Project credits:<\/p>\n

Lead architects: Ruo Wang, Haiyin Tang
Design team: Yiqing Wu, Chuanzhang Li, Zhexuan Liao, Yuan Wang, Zekang Ye (Intern)
Construction documentation: Suzhou Yuanke Ecological Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Contractor: Kunshan Huatai Municipal Engineering Co., Ltd.
Client: Construction Bureau of Kunshan Huaqiao Economic Development Zone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Architecture studio SoBA Architects has designed the Huachiao Vibrant Sports Park in China, whose shape was informed by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":234073,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[307,304,305,306,119335,114,308,93,61,60,5919,119337,54989,814,815,38361,119336],"class_list":{"0":"post-234072","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-basketball-courts","13":"tag-china","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-entertainment","16":"tag-ie","17":"tag-ireland","18":"tag-landscape-architecture","19":"tag-park-associates","20":"tag-playgrounds","21":"tag-sectionall","22":"tag-sectionarchitecture","23":"tag-skateparks","24":"tag-soba-architects"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}