Arup has been appointed to design Singapore Sports Hub – currently the largest sports infrastructure Public Private Partnership project in the world.
The appointment follows a historic agreement made on 25 August between the Singapore Sports Council and the Sports Hub Consortium, for the consortium to design, build, finance and operate the facility for 25 years. The Sports Hub is scheduled to be operational by mid 2014 at an estimated construction cost of S$1.33bn.
“We are excited to be part of the design team for this unique development that integrates sport, leisure and entertainment facilities located within Singapore’s city centre” says André Lovatt, Arup' s Singapore office leader. “The Sports Hub will put Singapore firmly on the map as a world leader in sports infrastructure and we believe it is a model that other countries will seek to follow.”
For Arup, Singapore Sports Hub builds on the firm’s recent success in delivering prestigious developments like the Singapore Flyer, the Helix Bridge and the Marina Bay Sands® integrated resort, in and around Marina Bay.
Lead designer
Arup is lead designer for a 55,000-seat stadium at the heart of the new development. The stadium incorporates an innovative moving tier design that provides flexibility to accommodate sporting events ranging from cricket and football to the National Day Parade.
“The stadium is designed as an elegant dome spanning 312m” explains Clive Lewis, Arup’s design leader for the project. “The spectacularly efficient structure provides shelter from the tropical climate and features a retractable roof over the pitch to provide shade during events and an innovative energy-efficient spectator cooling system delivering cooled air to every seat in the stadium.”
The iconic dome will also connect other facilities including an Aquatic and Leisure Water Centre, a multi-purpose indoor arena, the existing Singapore Indoor Stadium and 41,000m2 of retail space, through the provision of a sheltered pedestrian route open to the public day and night.
Arup is responsible for the multidisciplinary design and engineering of the Sports Hub. Services include: sports design; civil, structural, fire, maritime and facade engineering; geotechnics; acoustics; audio visual and multimedia; building physics; environmentally sustainable design; IT and communication systems; security and risk consulting; lighting design; advanced technology and research (moving structures); and specialist technical services (sports lighting, pedestrian modelling and field of play).
Following Singapore’s success hosting events like the F1 and the Youth Olympic Games, Singapore Sports Hub will reinforce the country’s reputation as a major international sporting destination.