Singapore's new National Stadium: The world's largest domed structure

 

 

Designed by a joint collaboration of Arup, a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, UK, DP Architects, one of the largest architectural practices in Singapore, and AECOM Technology Corporation, a global provider of professional technical and management support services. The new Singapore National Stadium is the design centrepiece of a new multi-purpose sports complex termed 'Singapore Sports Hub', located on a 35 hectare waterfront site in Kallang, South-east Singapore. Other facilities in the sports complex include: An Aquatic Sports Centre, a Sports Hub Library, Kallang Wave Shopping Mall and a Sports Museum.

Singapore's new national sports stadium claims to sport the world's largest free-spanning dome. Measuring 310-metres across, its roof can be opened or closed to suit the tropical climate. The automated retractable roof of the stadium is made out of a lightweight material called Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a fluorine based plastic, which was the prime material of choice by the stadium's design team for its characteristic high corrosion resistance, and strength over a wide temperature range. It takes approximately 25 minutes for the retractable roof to slide open or close, in automatic response to the tropical climate, thus sheltering the pitch and auditorium from heavy rain, or keeping the space cool in high temperatures.

 

 

The main bowl of the stadium is designed into three pre-configurations to suit any of the post-mentioned scheduled events. The pre- configurations include "Football", "Rugby" and "Cricket". The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 55,000 for football and rugby, 52,000 for cricket and 50,000 spectators for athletics events. With mechanised and automated retractable seating configurations on the lowest tier, the arena can also host concerts, cultural and other entertainment purposes at any time. It takes approximately 48 hours to reconfigure seating arrangements to suit an upcoming event.

 

The stadium's installed pitch is Desso Grassmaster, a sports playing field surface composed of natural grass combined with artificial fibres. The artificial grass fibres are injected 20 centimetres (7.9 in) deep, and cover about 3% of the surface. While the grass is growing, the roots intertwine with the artificial fibres. The designers claim this anchors the field to create a solid, even structure with good drainage and 'playing comfort'. Some other football stadiums with pitch's in this material include; Stamford Bridge, Arena Corinthians, Emirates Stadium, Amsterdam Arena and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stadium is fully air-conditioned with a state-of-the-art, energy efficient H.V.A.C. system which is designed to deliver cooled air to every seat in the stadium while utilizing less than 15 per cent of energy as compared to a conventional air-conditioned stadium. Thus, providing every spectator with a cool and comfortable experience to enjoy an event.

 

Commissioned in June 2014, the stadium has already played host to a number of sporting events inclusive of the 2014 World Club 10s Rugby competition. As a prelude to the stadium's opening, a friendly football match was also held in August 2014, between Italian giants Juventus F.C. and a Singapore select side. The national stadium will also play host to the forthcoming 2015 Southeast Asian Games, a Mariah Carey Concert later this month, the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup in November 2014, and the National Day Parade which is scheduled to hold in 2016.

 

With hugely innovative and technologically advanced stadiums being constructed all over the globe, the tradition notion of the stadium as just a "field of play" is quickly transforming to a newer, more novel, modernist notion of being a "mixed-use centre where sporting, as well as other activities, especially entertainment and commercial, take place". And Singapore's new National Stadium is a unique, 21st century testament to this new ideology.

 

To the brilliant design team who conceived this captivating piece of architectural genius, I accord the highest commendation to you!

 

 

Project completion date: June 2014

 

Project Design Architect: Arup Associates

Project Engineering Consultant: Arup
Project Architect of Record: DP Architects
Project M&E Engineers: Arup + Squire Mech

Project Landscape Architects: AECOM

 

 

 

 

Photo credits: www.dezeen.com