THE ETHIOPIA NATIONAL STADIUM

A competition to build a new 60,000 seat football stadium in Ethiopia has been won by Australian-German architect Lava.

Work on the ground, in the capital Addis Ababa, is due to start in 2014 and will also include an athletics track, an aquatics centre as well as a residential village along with sports halls and arena.

The façade material that wraps the stadium is inspired by the Massob, an Ethiopian communal serving basket made from woven grass. The country’s main export – coffee beans – is also referenced in the façade system.

Ethiopia is currently ranked 130 by FIFA and last qualified for the African Cup of Nations in 1982.

Source (BDOnline)