Ilocos Norte: The Ferdinand E. Marcos (FEM) Sports Stadium in this city has been shortlisted for the ArchDaily 2025 Building of the Year Awards. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc confirmed this on Monday as he encouraged his constituents to cast their vote before the February 19 voting deadline with this link: Sports Architecture: https://boty.archdaily.com/us/2025/candidates/173468/.
According to Philippines News Agency, the ArchDaily Building of the Year Awards, now in its 16th edition, was initiated by Dornbracht, known for its architectural designs. Of the nearly 4,000 projects enlisted worldwide, only 75 finalists across 15 categories have been shortlisted.
"This year's awards honor the pinnacle of design, innovation, and sustainability on a global scale, showcasing an exceptional range of projects within the shortlist," ArchDaily said in a statement. "As a crowdsourced award, we take pride in affirming that your selections authentically mirror the current state of architecture, and the caliber of this year's finalists further underscores the excellence and diversity prevalent in the field," it added.
Competing under the Sports Architecture category, the rehabilitated Marcos Stadium, which was severely damaged by Typhoon Ompong (Mangkhut) in 2018, is part of Ilocos Norte's major projects under the current administration. With funding from the Development Bank of the Philippines, the stadium reopened in 2022 as a prime venue for sports events and a training ground for athletes.
The stadium's exterior walls feature the motif of 'abel,' a popular Ilocano handwoven cloth, with the 'binakol' or whirlwind pattern, rendered in a supersized scale and easily identifiable through its uniform interconnecting geometric design. It also has a seating capacity of over 12,000, occupies approximately 43,820 square meters of land, and is becoming a favored location for runners and sports enthusiasts.
Furthermore, it is a popular venue for grand festivals and concerts organized by the provincial government. In April, the stadium will serve as the main hub for the Palarong Pambansa games.
