- Who
- Sports Hub
- What
- 312 metre(s)
- Where
- Singapore (Kallang)
- When
The largest true (self-supporting) dome in the world is the $1.3-billion Sports Hub national stadium in Singapore. Designed by Arup and DP Architects, the dome spans 312 m – very nearly big enough for four A380 airplanes parked wing-to-wing. The dome’s structure contains 3,000 m of steel trusses, giant louvres to protect against the sun and rain, and a lightweight ETFE plastic roof with a retractable middle section – which can double as a giant projector screen. Mechanised seating can be reconfigured in 48 hours to suit different sports, concerts and cultural events. Unusually, cooled air is blown in beneath the stadium seats rather than at high level. The construction required up to 26 cranes, 250,000 m³ of concrete, 6,000 foundation piles and 4,200 workers.
The Sports Hub was billed as a fully integrated sports, entertainment and lifestyle project. Up to 55,000 people can watch events, as well as visit a shopping mall, restaurants, museum and other sports facilities.
The first sell-out crowd event happened on 14 October 2014, when Japan's national football team played against Brazil.
Mariah Carey performed the dome’s first music concert on 24 October 2014.
