Construction has commenced on the world’s largest dome roof at Singapore’s National Stadium. Once completed in 2014, the Arup-designed structure will provide shelter to the 55,000 seat stadium and surrounding ticketed community spaces in the heart of the 35ha sports precinct. Singapore’s National Stadium will be the only stadium in the world, custom-built to host football, rugby, cricket and athletic events in one venue.
The simple geometric form of the ultra-thin, retractable dome spans 310m and is designed to use only a fraction of the energy required for an equivalent fully enclosed stadium. Continue after the break to learn more.
The open-ended, west end of the stadium will provide breathtaking views across the city and provide the perfect setting for Singapore’s own National Day Parade, which is slated to be hosted annually in the stadium.
In order to maximize energy efficiency in the tropical climate of Singapore, Arup prioritize the following passive design solutions: shading to seating, insulation to roof cladding and giant louvers that reduced solar heat gain. Furthermore, they equipped the naturally ventilated stadium bowl with localized cooling to ensure spectator comfort. The additional energy required to switch on the bowl cooling for a stadium event will be offset by energy harnessed throughout the year from a large photo voltaic array, allowing the operation of the bowl cooling to have a zero carbon impact on the environment.
Adds Clive Lewis, Arup’s lead Sports Venue Designer for the Singapore Sports Hub, “The tropical climate in Singapore poses a challenge in the design of the National Stadium. People will only enjoy the stadium experience if the environmental conditions are right. We wanted to keep the rain and heat out, but we also wanted it to be an open and dynamic space. After extensive research into comfort expectations and energy in use, we realized that a naturally ventilated stadium with localized cooling gave us the best solution for the local climate in Singapore. By incorporating a moving roof, the stadium will be further protected from the harsh climatic conditions, allowing events to be hosted during the hottest parts of the day.”
The S$1.33b Sports Hub will also be home to:
- A 3,000-capacity indoor world tournament standard Aquatic Centre, expandable to 6,000 capacity for specific events;
- A 3,000-capacity Multi Purpose Indoor Arena (MPIA) which will be scalable and flexible in layout;
- 41,000 sq m of commercial retail space;
- A Water Sports Centre catering to elite athletes as well as the public;
- The existing 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium;
- Sports Information & Resource Centre (SIRC), with sports library and museum.
The 20,000m2 moving roof is supported by the fixed roof dome structure with a clear span of 310m. It will be clad in a multi-layer ETFE pillow and incorporate a matrix of LED lights, making it one of the largest addressable LED screens in the world.
To optimize information exchange through the entire building process, Arup used advanced parametric modeling software, as well as in-house software developed specifically for the project. The result is a super efficient shell dome structure, with a total steel weight of 8,057 metric tons. At a structural weight per square meter of just over 100kg/m2, this would be considered efficient even for a roof that was half this span.
“The construction of the National Stadium is the launch pad for many other key elements in the project. It will be Asia’s only event site with the technology, capacity and services to cater to residents, overseas visitors, sports professionals and global artists 365 days a year,” says Mark Collins, Vice President and Managing Director of Global Spectrum Asia Pte Ltd. The company is one of the eight project partners of the SportsHub Pte Ltd Consortium, which has four equity partners – Dragages Singapore Pte Ltd, Infrared Capital Partners, UGL Services, and Global Spectrum Asia.
To date, Singapore Sports Hub is the largest sports infrastructure Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) project in the world. In line with Singapore Sports Council’s Vision 2030 master plan, Sports Hub will offer one and all the opportunity and access to live better through sports. It will be a platform for national athletes to hone their sporting talents and inspire participation in sports among the community.
With local firm DP Architects as masterplanners, the Sports Hub is designed within a natural landscape that is linked to an island-wide park connector system and will be accessible to everyone and anyone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
All images courtesy of Arup.
