In June 2014 Singapore celebrated the opening of Asia’s first integrated sports, leisure, entertainment and lifestyle destination - the Singapore Sports Hub. Located on a 35 hectare waterfront site close to the heart of Singapore the newly opened Sports Hub provides a wide range of sporting, retail and leisure spaces within easy reach of the city centre and international airport.
The Singapore Sports Hub is a key project in the government’s urban development plan, forming a central part of the 2020 vision for a sustainable, healthy and expanding population. The design of the precinct capitalises on the strategic site location next to the city centre to create a well-connected, accessible and inclusive destination. With easy access to the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) network, adjacent expressways the requirements for major events have been well integrated, whilst links to the extensive local pedestrian network and the island-wide park connector system will provide a seamless connection for the everyday access of the surrounding residential communities.
Often large stadia and sports development with their surrounding precincts are focused on a specific major sporting event, with less consideration given to the long-term use of the facilities. Singapore Sports Hub breaks this mould – its principle focus is to provide venues for world-class sporting events and be a dynamic lifestyle destination for the people of Singapore, with facilities for use throughout the year.
The National Stadium
At the heart of the Sports Hub is the new National Stadium – conceived as a unifying protective canopy that connects all parts of the Sports Hub master plan, the dome to the stadium has a span of over 310m making it the largest free spanning dome structure in the world - an awe inspiring event space. The National Stadium is a state-of-the-art sports venue, air-cooled, and designed with a movable roof and retractable seating to support the widest range of sports and leisure events. It will be the first stadium in the world custom designed to host athletics, football, rugby and cricket all in one venue, converting from one mode to another within 48 hours to provide for a highly flexible event calendar throughout the year.
Recognising the challenge of replacing the old Kallang Stadium, a cultural icon, the stadium preserves the spirit of the close relationship with the city by opening the stadium towards the waterfront and the city skyline. This provides spectators with breath-taking views to the heart of the city, especially meaningful for the nation’s annual spectacle, the National Day Parade. In form and massing, the National Stadium, together with the existing Singapore Indoor Stadium, will create a distinctive silhouette and an identity for Singapore Sports Hub.
Community Sports & Leisure
Surrounding the National Stadium is an active “social plinth” which integrates other sporting, commercial, civic and community facilities, including the OCBC Aquatics Centre and the two OCBC Arenas. These smaller scale venues have been designed to achieve maximum flexibility enabling them to serve both the exacting standards of a world-championship sporting events as well as a diverse everyday leisure focused sports programme.
The “social plinth” creates a human-scale frontage for the monumental stadium, injecting life and vibrancy while connecting the various facilities, as well as numerous event plazas throughout the site. On non-event days, these spaces will inspire participation through its bustle and activities; on event days, this integrated realm attracts people to come to the Sports Hub many hours before the event to spend time at a waterfront restaurant or one of the external event plazas.
Sports Promenade
Further exemplifying the integration of sport and public space is the Sports Promenade. Principally designed to provide rain and sun-protection to spectators outside of the stadium, in response to the harsh tropical climate in Singapore, the design was developed to realise the potential of this 1km connector space for everyday use. On non-event days, the Sports Promenade transforms into an exercise area with a jogging track and fitness centres, accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This inspirational civic space links the National Stadium to various key sports venues, lifestyle destinations, public rooftop spaces and green spaces within the Sports Hub, offering stunning views out to the city and the surrounding waterfront. Sustainable Sports Precinct
Innovative engineering solutions were developed early in the design to ensure minimized energy consumption for this sports precinct. The bowl cooling to the stadium achieves a 60% reduction in energy use when compared to conventional stadium. The energy required to operate the bowl cooling is also offset against energy harnessed from a large photo voltaic array within the precinct making it a “zero carbon” system. Economy of means is also a key characteristic of the main dome structure itself which uses 1/3rd of the steel weight / m2 when compared to other large span structures of this scale.
Designed with sustainability and legacy in mind, Singapore Sports Hub will provide rich and meaningful experiences to inspire athletes, visitors and local community for generations to come. The Sports Hub integrates greenery and landscape extensively to create a high quality, natural waterfront environment. The major public and landscape realms of Singapore Sports Hub, such as the Waterfront Promenade, integrate the island-wide park connector system, further enhancing its accessibility and green ambience. The stadium itself incorporates sky terraces with planting and vertical greenery to the edge of internal concourse areas to create a totally unique and tropical experience.
Key Facilities
The Singapore Sports Hub facilities are: • a 55,000-seat National Stadium with a retractable roof and comfort cooling for spectators • a 3,000-seat National Aquatic Centre, expandable to 6,000 capacity for specific events • a 3,000-seat Multi-Purpose Indoor Arena, scalable and flexible in layout • 41,000 sq m of commercial retail space with integrated leisure waterpark and rock-climbing • a Sports Information and Resource Centre, with a sports library and museum • a Water Sports Centre for canoe, kayak and dragon boat athletes and enthusiasts • the existing 12,000-seat Singapore Indoor Stadium • a diverse range of community sport facilities: hard courts, skate park, fitness corners, jogging and cycling tracks, bowling lawn, beach volleyball court, etc.
In collaboration with AECOM and Arup Sport, United Kingdom.
Awards: 2012 BCA Green Mark for Buildings Award (Gold Plus)
