The site for Jericho’s Sports City  is located approximately 6 km North from the center of Jericho, It consists of two plots, the larger one to the North with an area of 85,932 m2, and a smaller lot to the south with an area of 8,709 m2.

The site is part of a series of valley fomations. With the difference in elevation  reaching a maximum of 40m, at a maximum slope of approximately 25%, the topography of the site posed a challenge that became one of the main drivers in the design process.

The program for the masterplan includes a football stadium sized to meet FIFA standards and allows for 5000 spectators in addition to an administrative building, a hotel, an indoor Olympic pool, an indoor games hall, two squash courts, a martial arts arena and an indoor shooting range. Outdoor facilities include two tennis courts and a 5x5 football field.

The site’s topography allowed for a rare condition where the stadium can be accessed at street level, allowing visitors to see through into the field and the view in the distance as they enter. This provides an exciting “open stadium” experience as opposed to the typical condition in which visitors enter from behind the bleachers. 

A modular system was introduced to form a permeable facade and structural system to enhance the concept of an open stadium, allowing visual as well controlled physical connectivity between the inside and outside. The modules can have an area enough to house kiosks and retail facilities.

The site’s landscaping strategy relies mainly on the use of retaining walls to mitigate the site’s topography, creating a variety of flat platforms in different sizes to house the required sports fields. Different vertical landscape typologies emerged to allow users to access the multiple platforms.