Located south of the tropic of Cancer, the subtropical port city of Kaohsiung is the second largest city in Taiwan, where banyan trees and palms grow wild. As a result of an international competition in 2005, Kaohsiung was selected to host the World Games in July 2009, with the Main Stadium as the main venue. A consortium was formed, composed of a design joint venture between Takenaka, Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects and Ricky Liu & Associates, and construction manager Fu Tsu Construction, which won the bid. With the theme of an athletic park creating a new age, three concepts were included in the proposal: an "open stadium," an "urban park," and a "continuous spiral structure." The shape of the "open stadium" located in the southern part of the site facing Kaohsiung naturally leads the large number of visitors from the new transport station to the gates. Also, so there is a lot of activity happening even when events are scheduled, an "urban park" has been formed which is open to the public. Waste soil from the field construction covers the lower half of the exterior of the stadium structure, designed for harmony on a human scale, and blending with the surrounding landscape. 8,800 solar panels have been installed on the 22,000 square-meter large roof covering the 44,000 spectator seats (55,000 including temporary seating) in a spiral shape, making the entire roof into a three-dimensional winding skyline, and expressing the feeling of activity with the events being held, as a "continuous spiral structure." These solar panels have the annual capacity to generate 1.1 million kW of electricity, with the effect of reducing CO2 emissions by about 660 tons. As well as using rainwater and natural energy such as the wind, the stadium has received the Taiwanese environmental performance evaluation "Gold Award" rating for "Green Building." Furthermore, as the first IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Class 1-certified international-level stadium in Taiwan, the facility is expected to greatly contribute to Taiwanese track and field athletics in the future.