Foundation laid for new National Stadium

Contributed by Ronda Ng

Kallang, Friday, September 16, 2011 — The much anticipated Singapore Sports Hub has completed its first phase of construction since the official contract signing. The Design & Build Contractor/Partner, Dragages Singapore Pte Ltd, had completed piling and the foundation of the new National Stadium and the construction team will now concentrate on the superstructure. At the moment, 12 tower cranes line the perimeter of the new National Stadium to give a hint of what the public can expect when the project is completed and operating in April 2014.

In addition, the football pitch is currently undergoing accelerated settlement to ensure that it is ready for the next phase of development early next year. Piling for the other facilities outside the new national stadium has also commenced and are expected to be completed by first quarter next year.

The structure of the new 55,000-capacity National Stadium will see the highest part of the dome rise over 80 metres above ground (equivalent to a 40-storey HDB flat) and the deepest of the piles that is used to form the foundation of the stadium went more than 60 metres into the ground, longer than the length of an Olympic size swimming pool. The new National Stadium’s dome is also large enough to enclose the Esplanade or the Sydney Opera House.

Thus far, more than 1,200 staff members from 20 nationalities have put in more than two million hours at the project site. Together, the team has also ensured that the new National Stadium project retains the heritage of the old National Stadium by recycling all the rubble gained from the demolition of the old National Stadium and the car parks and roads surrounding it. The recycled material currently serves as bases for roads and working platforms for the heavy machinery required on site and will be incorporated into the foundation of the new development eventually.

Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Sports Hub project, Philippe Colin Delavaud, said, “Work is progressing as per the schedule and it is very pleasing to see the changes to the site on a daily basis. You can envisage the magnificence of the new National Stadium and the other surrounding facilities when you are at the site. We have a big team dedicated to this project and the Singapore Sports Hub will undoubtedly be the fully integrated sports, entertainment and lifestyle hub for everyone in Singapore when it is in operation in 2014. I am also very proud that the Singapore Indoor Stadium has recorded an outstanding attendance figure of 656,000 spectators in the last 12 months. It is a very encouraging sign for our future operation.”