Take a look around Europe or even beyond — most new stadiums being built today seem to follow the same formula:
Sleek curves, glass facades, LED lighting, modern roofs… but something feels missing.
Where’s the uniqueness?
Where’s the character?
🔄 The “Copy-Paste” Era of Stadium Design
In recent years, stadium architecture has entered what many fans call the “copy-paste” era — where new arenas from England to China look nearly identical.
Why is this happening?
- Function Over Personality: Today’s stadiums are built to maximize revenue, not identity. VIP lounges, commercial zones, retractable roofs — all follow the same model.
- Modular Construction: Using prefabricated parts helps reduce cost and time, but often leads to similar shapes and structures.
- Strict Regulations: Safety, accessibility, and sustainability standards force architects to follow similar structural rules.
- Influence of Big Firms: A small number of global architecture firms now design most stadiums. Their “signature style” often repeats.
🏟️ The Lost Soul of Stadiums?
Now think of Signal Iduna Park (Borussia Dortmund) — steep, towering stands filled with yellow. Or San Siro in Milan — brutalist concrete ramps and an atmosphere like no other.
These stadiums aren’t just buildings. They’re living monuments, with design choices that scream identity, history, and local culture.
You can’t confuse them with any other stadium on Earth.
That’s exactly why fans love them.
💬 Are We Losing What Made Stadiums Special?
While modern designs are efficient, fans around the world are starting to ask:
Have we traded away identity for comfort and profit?
And will the stadiums of the future ever become as iconic as the ones we’re slowly tearing down?
