Building work has begun on a multi-functional sports complex in the Chinese city of Sizhou, west of Shanghai.

Designed by architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners, the SIP Sports Park will include three national-standard venues – a 45,000-seat stadium, an indoor pool with 3,000 seats and a 15,000-seat indoor arena.

The sports venues will be surrounded by residential quarters, a hotel and a leisure district offering community sports facilities and public spaces.

In addition to the competition and training pools, the swimming hall includes a spa area, leisure pools, and sports shops.

The development is being funded jointly by Sizhou City and Jiangsu Regional authorities and when complete, the complex will form part of the larger Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP).

Due to open in 2017, the complex has been designed to fit into its surroundings in a city renowned for its natural beauty.

A spokesperson for architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partners said: “Suzhou is famous in China for its landscape design, and the masterplan for this new sports park is based on this tradition.

“In a modern interpretation of the city’s traditional gardens, an informally designed park landscape flows around the podiums that rise in straight lines from the surrounding streets and support the stadiums.

“All three stadiums have undulating roofs that make the ensemble into a landmark visible from afar. The curved roofs give the impression of pavilions, marking the high points in this landscape. As visitors walk along the curved pathways, various vistas open up to water features, pavilion architecture, and the landscape.”