Architecture

World's largest dome structure completed in Singapore

World's largest dome structure completed in Singapore
The Singapore Sports Hub, by DP Architects (Photo: DP Architects)
The Singapore Sports Hub, by DP Architects (Photo: DP Architects)
View 19 Images
The Singapore Sports Hub, by DP Architects (Photo: DP Architects)
1/19
The Singapore Sports Hub, by DP Architects (Photo: DP Architects)
The Singapore Sports Hub, as it looks at night (Photo: DP Architects)
2/19
The Singapore Sports Hub, as it looks at night (Photo: DP Architects)
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
3/19
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
The stadium can host athletics, soccer, rugby, or cricket, converting in around 48 hours (Photo: DP Architects)
4/19
The stadium can host athletics, soccer, rugby, or cricket, converting in around 48 hours (Photo: DP Architects)
In order to keep visitors cool, DP Architects situated the complex to make the most of existing prevailing winds (Photo: DP Architects)
5/19
In order to keep visitors cool, DP Architects situated the complex to make the most of existing prevailing winds (Photo: DP Architects)
Other smaller sporting venues within the Sports Hub complex include an aquatic center (Photo: DP Architects)
6/19
Other smaller sporting venues within the Sports Hub complex include an aquatic center (Photo: DP Architects)
Elsewhere within the huge complex is a 41,000 sq m (441,320 sq ft) retail area which contains a water park and rock-climbing facilities (Photo: DP Architects)
7/19
Elsewhere within the huge complex is a 41,000 sq m (441,320 sq ft) retail area which contains a water park and rock-climbing facilities (Photo: DP Architects)
The Singapore Sports Hub is located on a 35 hectare (86.4 acre) site (Photo: DP Architects)
8/19
The Singapore Sports Hub is located on a 35 hectare (86.4 acre) site (Photo: DP Architects)
The complex's centerpiece is the 55,000 seat Singapore National Stadium (Photo: DP Architects)
9/19
The complex's centerpiece is the 55,000 seat Singapore National Stadium (Photo: DP Architects)
The complex includes a beach volleyball court (Photo: DP Architects)
10/19
The complex includes a beach volleyball court (Photo: DP Architects)
The complex includes a water center for canoeing, kayaking and related activities (Photo: DP Architects)
11/19
The complex includes a water center for canoeing, kayaking and related activities (Photo: DP Architects)
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
12/19
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
DP Architects planted lots of greenery around the site (Photo: DP Architects)
13/19
DP Architects planted lots of greenery around the site (Photo: DP Architects)
Other smaller sporting venues within the Sports Hub complex include an aquatic center, which seats up to 6,000, and a 3,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena (Photo: DP Architects)
14/19
Other smaller sporting venues within the Sports Hub complex include an aquatic center, which seats up to 6,000, and a 3,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena (Photo: DP Architects)
Elsewhere within the huge complex is a 41,000 sq m (441,320 sq ft) retail area which contains a water park and rock-climbing facilities (Photo: DP Architects)
15/19
Elsewhere within the huge complex is a 41,000 sq m (441,320 sq ft) retail area which contains a water park and rock-climbing facilities (Photo: DP Architects)
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
16/19
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
Architectural drawing of the Singapore Sports Hub Complex (Image: DP Architects)
17/19
Architectural drawing of the Singapore Sports Hub Complex (Image: DP Architects)
Architectural drawing of the Singapore Sports Hub Complex (Image: DP Architects)
18/19
Architectural drawing of the Singapore Sports Hub Complex (Image: DP Architects)
Architectural drawing of the Singapore Sports Hub Complex (Image: DP Architects)
19/19
Architectural drawing of the Singapore Sports Hub Complex (Image: DP Architects)
View gallery - 19 images

Work was recently completed on a big, bold, and presumably very expensive architectural project – and for a change, it's not located in Dubai or China. The Singapore Sports Hub is a mammoth new sports complex containing the East Asian city state's new National Stadium: a 55,000 capacity venue that boasts the notable achievement of being the world's largest dome structure.

Situated on a 35 hectare (86.4 acre) site, the Singapore Sports Hub was designed by local firm DP Architects, and its centerpiece is the National Stadium. The National Stadium's dome shaped-structure measures a total of 312 m (1,023 ft) in diameter, besting its nearest rival in the dome structure size stakes, the Texas Cowboys Stadium, by 37 m (121 ft).

The stadium also sports a huge retractable roof and a flexible interior layout that can host athletics, soccer, rugby, or cricket as required, taking around 48 hours to convert.

The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)
The stadium sports a huge retractable roof (Photo: DP Architects)

Other important sporting venues within the Sports Hub include an aquatic center, which seats up to 6,000, and a 3,000 seat multi-purpose indoor arena. Elsewhere lies a 41,000 sq m (441,320 sq ft) retail area, which contains a water park and rock-climbing facilities.

There's also a library, museum and visitor's center, around 18,000 sq m (193,000 sq ft) of office space, a water center for canoeing, kayaking and related activities, and a number of smaller areas, including a skate park, jogging and cycling tracks, and a beach volleyball court.

In order to keep visiting sports fans cool, the design team, consisting of DP Architects, Arup and AECOM, carefully situated the complex to make the most of the prevailing winds, and planted lots of greenery around the site.

Local renewable energy firm Phoenix Solar was also tasked with installing a large on-site solar array, which measures 7,000 sq m (75,000 sq ft), and provides all necessary energy for the stadium's cooling systems. DP Architects reckons that this results in a 60 percent reduction in energy use, compared to a conventionally-powered cooled stadium.

Sources: DP Architects, Phoenix Solar via Arch Daily

View gallery - 19 images
6 comments
6 comments
Derek Howe
wow, that's a really nice looking stadium!
the.other.will
Outstanding! And so much open space around the playing field in the stadium.
Slowburn
Generating power on site does not reduce energy consumption. This is an increased resource model not a reduced consumption model.
Bryan Haslett
I don't think they are touting it as a "reduced consumption model" only that "compared to a conventionally-powered cooled stadium" this one will use less grid power because the solar array will cover a large portion of their energy requirement for cooling.
Maybe I didn't understand your point?
Nice looking structure. Now if I can only get one built for my home on a smaller scale...much, much smaller!
Slowburn
@ Bryan Haslett It is a pet peeve that people call generating their own power "saving energy" because it adds confusion and denies the much harder job of increasing efficiency. Bear in mind the only problem I have with solar power is the filth in making the cells being ignored and being expected to help pay for other people to use it.
SportsHub Singapore
The architecture and engineering of the Singapore National Stadium, were by Arup Associates and Arup not by DP Architects as the article claims. Arup also defined the design for the low energy bowl cooling system.
DP Architects were the Architect of Record for the Singapore National Stadium, and designed the adjacent retail and office areas that surround the Singapore National Stadium.