Sports Hub

Description

A flagship project boosting the prestige of Singapore, it is practically an entire city that stands beneath the world’s largest dome. With this infrastructure capable of hosting all types of world-class events, Bouygues Bâtiment International has a spectacular project to its credit.

“Sports Hub Pte Ltd presented us with a holistic vision taking account of all the dimensions of the site, which will allow us to promote sport, health, leisure and entertainment. Dragages Singapore has proved itself to be an invaluable partner for the construction of the Sports Hub, particularly for its expertise with respect to the most stringent safety standards and for its professionalism on the ground.” said Lim Teck Yin, CEO of Sport Singapore.

With the Sports Hub, delivered in spring 2014 by its subsidiary, Dragages Singapore, Bouygues Bâtiment  International created a concept with no equivalent in Asia. Built 15 minutes from the international airport, this sport and leisure complex houses not only a 55,000-seat stadium, but also an Olympic aquatic centre, six indoor sport halls and a 41,000 m² shopping centre. In all 46 hectares of facilities are contained on a 28 hectare site. The gigantic scale is reflected by the programme of events scheduled at the complex, which include the World Club Rugby 10s championships, the 28th South-East Asian Games, concerts by Mariah Carey and Muse, and soon, the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The roof of the New National Stadium is a masterpiece in its own right. Although it spans 320 metres and weighs 10 000 tonnes, it is retractable. Since the stands themselves are movable, this means that the venue can host any type of event – a world first on this scale. It would be impossible to air-condition such a huge volume, but an innovative bowl cooling system circulates cool air under the seats, allowing each spectator to sit in a temperate 23° C “bubble”.

The Sports Hub remains the world’s largest public-private partnership for a sport and leisure facility. It was also the world’s first site on such a scale to benefit from 3D modelling. The use of BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology made it possible to anticipate changing requirements of the customer and the architect as the project progressed. The benefits included time-saving and, given the complexity of the project, smoother coordination between the various stakeholders. Six separate players contributed to the elaboration of  the global model, which was coordinated by Bouygues Bâtiment International. Digital modelling made it possible to devise a smooth and effective solution for assembling enormous blocks of reinforced concrete weighing 750 tonnes each, essential for supporting the arches of the stadium roof.

The Sports Hub project is participative in several respects. Open to the general public, it offers visitors free access to recreational facilities, including beach volleyball courts, a climbing wall, a skate park, a bowling green, a gym, etc. The complex is also participative in terms of its methods of operation. Group subsidiary Dragages Singapore holds a 25-year management contract. The complex provides a wide variety of multi-functional uses, including sports competition up to world-class level, concerts, trade fairs, exhibitions, restaurants, shopping. The Group works with partners from the entertainment and sports industries. The project has called on the services of around ten French small businesses, such as Cryogel for cold storage solutions, Delta Dore for the surveillance of technical equipment, Envhyro for protection of the athletics track and C.M.I for fencing equipment.

The site endeavours to conserve urban biodiversity by planting vegetation that chiefly consists of native varieties. It employs centralised energy production using a heat pump, as well as energy recovery, thanks in particular to the New National Stadium’s highly efficient skin.