In a new stadium under construction in Egypt for Cairo’s Al-Ahly Football Club, the soccer field and more than half the seats are sunken slightly underground. The design is partly a way to meet local height restrictions. But the lower temperature below ground also helps keep the outdoor stadium more comfortable, even in sweltering summer weather.

“It allows us to benefit from natural cooling,” says Ryan Sickman, who leads the sports practice at Gensler, the architecture firm behind the design. The stadium’s facade, designed for LED displays, is also perforated so breezes can easily flow through.

It’s one of many ways that architects are designing sports venues for extreme heat as the world gets hotter and it’s becoming more difficult for athletes to play—and for fans to watch—safely.

In Austin, another Gensler-designed stadium is oriented so that as many fans as possible can sit in the shade during........

© Fast Company