SOM’s concept design for a major league soccer stadium, The Queens Braid, was recently on display for the first time at the 2025 Xiamen International Design and Art Exhibition in China.
The design weaves timber beams into a self-supporting structure that is as eye-catching as it is efficient. For the task, SOM delivered a forward-thinking design, an assembly of lightweight, mass timber elements using techniques that reduce waste and foster future disassembly.
Designed for a prominent waterfront site in Queens, New York, it is conceived as an emblem for the next generation of low-carbon architecture. The building is composed of interlocking wooden beams, applying SOM’s research on self-supporting structures. With a memorable form that evokes a woven basket, the highly efficient design—named the Woven Timber Shell—dramatically reduces the upfront carbon impact of construction.
The installation was on display at Xiamen Art Museum and brought together work from architecture firms, designers, and artists representing 13 countries and regions.
