By November next year, the distinctive steel dome of the Sports Hub's 55,000-seater National Stadium will be added to the Singapore skyline.
Spanning 310 metres and weighing 8,057 metric tonnes, the 20,000 square metres retractable dome will be the largest of its kind in the world when completed ahead of the official opening of the S$1.33-billion Sports Hub in April 2014.
At present, the 80,000-capacity Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, which measures 275 metres in diameter, boasts the world's largest dome.
Construction of the National Stadium's roof began in June this year and Dragages Singapore, one of the equity partners of SportsHub Pte Ltd, maintained at a press briefing on October 4 that the project is on track to be completed in two years' time.
"All along, the challenge (for us) is the roof structure," said Dragages Contract Director Chen Shee Shann.
"We awarded the contract for the steel roof structure early last year and by November or December we got all the materials in and started fabrication. That part of the risk is already over, now it's getting the work done."
Clive Lewis of Arup, one of the designers for the Sports Hub, added: "On the critical path, the dome roof is one of the first things we worked on.
"Work on the multi-purpose indoor arena has started, it's out of the ground, the aquatics centre is in an advanced stage, the retail area and car park are coming up."
Designed to protect spectators from Singapore's heat and humidity, the National Stadium will reduce heat gain with methods such as an under-seat cooling system and an insulated metal roof.
With the National Stadium custom-built to host football, rugby, cricket and athletics events - also another first in the world - 30,000 seats will be located in retractable seating modules to achieve the best balance between the different viewing criteria for sports like football and athletics.
Located on a 35-hectares site in Kallang, the Sports Hub - the world's largest Public-Private Partnership - will also feature a 3,000-seat indoor aquatics centre, multi-purpose indoor arenas, a water sports centre, the existing Singapore Indoor Stadium, a sports information and resource centre with a sports library and museum.
It will also have 41,000 square metres of business, commercial and retail floor space, with occupants including the Singapore Sports Council, Singapore Sports Institute and other National Sports Associations.
Spanning 310 metres and weighing 8,057 metric tonnes, the 20,000 square metres retractable dome will be the largest of its kind in the world when completed ahead of the official opening of the S$1.33-billion Sports Hub in April 2014.
At present, the 80,000-capacity Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas, which measures 275 metres in diameter, boasts the world's largest dome.
Construction of the National Stadium's roof began in June this year and Dragages Singapore, one of the equity partners of SportsHub Pte Ltd, maintained at a press briefing on October 4 that the project is on track to be completed in two years' time.
"All along, the challenge (for us) is the roof structure," said Dragages Contract Director Chen Shee Shann.
"We awarded the contract for the steel roof structure early last year and by November or December we got all the materials in and started fabrication. That part of the risk is already over, now it's getting the work done."
Clive Lewis of Arup, one of the designers for the Sports Hub, added: "On the critical path, the dome roof is one of the first things we worked on.
"Work on the multi-purpose indoor arena has started, it's out of the ground, the aquatics centre is in an advanced stage, the retail area and car park are coming up."
Designed to protect spectators from Singapore's heat and humidity, the National Stadium will reduce heat gain with methods such as an under-seat cooling system and an insulated metal roof.
With the National Stadium custom-built to host football, rugby, cricket and athletics events - also another first in the world - 30,000 seats will be located in retractable seating modules to achieve the best balance between the different viewing criteria for sports like football and athletics.
Located on a 35-hectares site in Kallang, the Sports Hub - the world's largest Public-Private Partnership - will also feature a 3,000-seat indoor aquatics centre, multi-purpose indoor arenas, a water sports centre, the existing Singapore Indoor Stadium, a sports information and resource centre with a sports library and museum.
It will also have 41,000 square metres of business, commercial and retail floor space, with occupants including the Singapore Sports Council, Singapore Sports Institute and other National Sports Associations.
