Steel first, garden later<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The new stadium will rise on the outskirts of Belgrade, in the municipality of Sur\u010din, close to Nikola Tesla Airport and the future Expo 2027 area. Fenwick Iribarren Architects lists the Serbian government as the client and says the project is designed for 52,000 spectators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: California rolled out its first AI-driven highway traffic management system, aiming to smooth flow and cut congestion by using real-time data to control lanes and responses instead of relying on static timing<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nCSCEC\u2019s latest update puts the total floor area at about 76,000 m\u00b2 and the steel volume<\/a> at roughly 13,800 tons. That is the part now moving from renderings into real life, beam by beam.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy this stadium is different<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The headline feature is the fa\u00e7ade. Instead of a conventional concrete or glass shell, the stadium is designed with four suspended rings connected by cables, with garden areas built into the structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fenwick Iribarren says the stadium will include three levels of landscaped gardens around the venue, creating accessible hanging garden areas for residents, pedestrians, and tourists. In practical terms, the building is supposed to work beyond matchday, not sit quiet and empty between games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there is a catch. Trees, shrubs, soil, irrigation water, steel, and long-term maintenance all add weight and complexity, so the \u201cgreen\u201d look is only one part of the environmental story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s role in Serbia\u2019s megaproject<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The project also shows how deeply Chinese state-backed builders are involved in Serbia\u2019s biggest sports infrastructure plan. CSCEC says it is responsible for the design, fabrication, and installation of the steel structure, while PowerChina<\/a> reported the 2024 groundbreaking for the stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAt that ceremony, Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 called the project \u201ca significant construction endeavor,\u201d according to PowerChina\u2019s report. That phrasing fits the scale, but it also hints at the pressure around the deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nAlso Read: Finland has opened what\u2019s being billed as the first permanent facility for disposing of spent nuclear fuel, a milestone that turns \u201cnuclear waste\u201d from a political talking point into an engineering endgame<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe stadium is tied to Serbia\u2019s broader Expo 2027 push. Serbia\u2019s government has said the new National Stadium, new fairground, aquatic center, residential buildings, and other Expo-related projects are part of a wider development plan for Belgrade and Sur\u010din.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The green promise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The stadium\u2019s designers describe the project as rooted in ecology and sustainability, with a green natural facade and year-round public areas. That sounds attractive, especially in a city where large sports venues can often feel like closed islands surrounded by traffic, noise, and exhaust fumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The energy system is another key piece. Fenwick Iribarren says the design aims for high energy efficiency, while engineering partners have described a heating and cooling approach based on four-pipe chillers that can reuse residual heat from cooling to help generate hot water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Steel](\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/serbia-national-football-stadium-garden-design-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
As Belgrade moves toward Expo 2027, the National Football Stadium project reaches a major milestone with the first hoisting of its complex steel structure.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nStill, a garden stadium is not automatically a low-impact stadium. At the end of the day, its real environmental value will depend on water use, plant survival, energy demand<\/a>, transport links, and whether people can reach it without sitting in long traffic jams.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Serbia gets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For Serbian football, the stadium could fill a real gap. CSCEC says the venue will be the only stadium in Serbia built to meet both FIFA World Cup<\/a> and UEFA European Football Championship standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat matters because it gives Serbia a modern national-team home and a stronger case for hosting major football events. StadiumDB reports the facility is expected to become the new home of the Serbian national football team and be completed by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nAlso Read: While everyone talks about colonizing the Moon, China is already testing construction robotics built to assemble infrastructure in harsh environments, pushing the idea that the first lunar builders won\u2019t be astronauts, they\u2019ll be machines\u00a0<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe price is another part of the story. StadiumDB estimates the cost at about 112.4 billion Serbian dinars, or close to $1 billion, which explains why the stadium has drawn scrutiny as well as excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A stadium that still has to deliver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For now, the first steel hoisting is a milestone, not a finish line. The hardest part will be turning an ambitious drawing into a working stadium that can handle crowds, weather, plants, maintenance, and the daily reality of public infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf the deadline holds, Serbia could soon have one of the most unusual football venues in Europe. A stadium that looks like a garden sounds simple enough, but making it work is anything but simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official statement was published on CSCEC<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Serbia\u2019s future national football home just crossed a very visible construction milestone. CSCEC says it has completed the first hoisting … <\/p>\n
Why this stadium is different<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The headline feature is the fa\u00e7ade. Instead of a conventional concrete or glass shell, the stadium is designed with four suspended rings connected by cables, with garden areas built into the structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fenwick Iribarren says the stadium will include three levels of landscaped gardens around the venue, creating accessible hanging garden areas for residents, pedestrians, and tourists. In practical terms, the building is supposed to work beyond matchday, not sit quiet and empty between games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there is a catch. Trees, shrubs, soil, irrigation water, steel, and long-term maintenance all add weight and complexity, so the \u201cgreen\u201d look is only one part of the environmental story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s role in Serbia\u2019s megaproject<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The project also shows how deeply Chinese state-backed builders are involved in Serbia\u2019s biggest sports infrastructure plan. CSCEC says it is responsible for the design, fabrication, and installation of the steel structure, while PowerChina<\/a> reported the 2024 groundbreaking for the stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At that ceremony, Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 called the project \u201ca significant construction endeavor,\u201d according to PowerChina\u2019s report. That phrasing fits the scale, but it also hints at the pressure around the deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The stadium is tied to Serbia\u2019s broader Expo 2027 push. Serbia\u2019s government has said the new National Stadium, new fairground, aquatic center, residential buildings, and other Expo-related projects are part of a wider development plan for Belgrade and Sur\u010din.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The stadium\u2019s designers describe the project as rooted in ecology and sustainability, with a green natural facade and year-round public areas. That sounds attractive, especially in a city where large sports venues can often feel like closed islands surrounded by traffic, noise, and exhaust fumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The energy system is another key piece. Fenwick Iribarren says the design aims for high energy efficiency, while engineering partners have described a heating and cooling approach based on four-pipe chillers that can reuse residual heat from cooling to help generate hot water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, a garden stadium is not automatically a low-impact stadium. At the end of the day, its real environmental value will depend on water use, plant survival, energy demand<\/a>, transport links, and whether people can reach it without sitting in long traffic jams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Serbian football, the stadium could fill a real gap. CSCEC says the venue will be the only stadium in Serbia built to meet both FIFA World Cup<\/a> and UEFA European Football Championship standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That matters because it gives Serbia a modern national-team home and a stronger case for hosting major football events. StadiumDB reports the facility is expected to become the new home of the Serbian national football team and be completed by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The price is another part of the story. StadiumDB estimates the cost at about 112.4 billion Serbian dinars, or close to $1 billion, which explains why the stadium has drawn scrutiny as well as excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, the first steel hoisting is a milestone, not a finish line. The hardest part will be turning an ambitious drawing into a working stadium that can handle crowds, weather, plants, maintenance, and the daily reality of public infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the deadline holds, Serbia could soon have one of the most unusual football venues in Europe. A stadium that looks like a garden sounds simple enough, but making it work is anything but simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official statement was published on CSCEC<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Serbia\u2019s future national football home just crossed a very visible construction milestone. CSCEC says it has completed the first hoisting … <\/p>\nAlso Read: Finland has opened what\u2019s being billed as the first permanent facility for disposing of spent nuclear fuel, a milestone that turns \u201cnuclear waste\u201d from a political talking point into an engineering endgame<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The green promise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Serbia gets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: While everyone talks about colonizing the Moon, China is already testing construction robotics built to assemble infrastructure in harsh environments, pushing the idea that the first lunar builders won\u2019t be astronauts, they\u2019ll be machines\u00a0<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
A stadium that still has to deliver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n