Once completed, Rach Chiec Stadium is expected to become Vietnam’s national stadium and one of the country’s largest, with around 70,000 seats, surpassing the capacity of My Dinh National Stadium.

The venue is designed to host team sports such as football as well as “90% of Olympic sports”.

According to the Dezeen, the stadium forms part of a wider plan to improve the country's sporting facilities with the aim of hosting major events including the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Cup and potentially a future Olympics.

Wrapped in a diamond-patterned facade, the stadium draws inspiration from the Nipa Palms (Nypa fruticans), which grows along waterways in the region.

“It will be covered by a fully retractable roof that will allow the playing area to be environmentally controlled, while also shielding the surrounding residential areas from noise”, says the magazine.

The stadium will form part of the 200-hectare Rach Chiec National Sports Complex, also masterplanned by Populous, which will include an 18,000-seat indoor arena.

Populous senior principal Andrew Tulen told Dezeen that the stadium and arena design are informed by the masterplan for the entire precinct, providing anchors for a park-like experience, supported by commercial offerings and activations.

"We are focusing on making the venues accessible, well connected and flexible to provide a variety of experiences for all demographics", he added.

Populous, known for designing major sports venues worldwide, is currently working on a new stadium for US professional baseball team the Tampa Bay Rays and a stand for Wrexham AFC in the UK.

The firm is also involved in redevelopment projects at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz, home of Benfica, and King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Riyadh.

Bronze Drum Stadium to elevate Vietnam to global sports stage

Vietnam is drumming up global attention with the construction of the Trong Dong (Bronze Drum) Stadium, a 135,000-seat venue that, once completed, will become the largest stadium in the world.