National Stadium, Singapore

The Singapore National Stadium or National Stadium is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Kallang, Singapore. It was completed in late 2013 and officially opened on 30 June 2014, on the site of the former National Stadium, which was closed in 2007 and demolished in 2010. A centrepiece of the larger Singapore Sports Hub complex, the stadium hosts major association football matches, including the home matches of the Singapore national team.

Singapore National Stadium
Stadium Nasional Singapura (Malay)
新加坡国家体育场 (Chinese)
சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய அரங்கம் (Tamil)
Interior of the National Stadium
Full nameNational Stadium
Address1 Stadium Drive, Singapore 397629
LocationKallang, Singapore
Coordinates1°18′2.5″N 103°52′27.2″E
Public transit CC6  Stadium
 EW10  Kallang
 TE23  Tanjong Rhu (from 2023)
OwnerSport Singapore
OperatorDragages Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Capacity55,000 (Football/Rugby), 52,000 (Cricket), 50,000 (Athletics)
Record attendance52,897 (Man Utd vs Int Milan, 20 July 2019)[1]
SurfaceEclipse Stabilised Turf
Construction
Broke ground29 September 2010 (2010-09-29)
Opened30 June 2014 (2014-06-30)
Construction costS$1.87 billion
ArchitectArup Associates (Sports venues), DP Architects (Non-sport venues, QP), AECOM (landscape)
Structural engineerArup
Tenants
Singapore national football team (2014–present)
Singapore national cricket team

The stadium features the world's largest retractable domed roof and the configurable seating on the lowest spectator tier to make it the only stadium in the world that is custom-designed to host different sporting events at any given time. Depending on its configurations, the stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 55,000 for football and rugby, 52,000 for cricket and 50,000 for athletics events/concerts and is the largest stadium in the country in terms of seating capacity.[2] The roof is made out of insulated metal to reflect sunlight.

In addition to Singapore's home games, the stadium also hosts other sporting and cultural events, including the International Champions Cup and the Singapore Sevens. It hosted the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, the 2014 World Club 10s, the 2014 and 2019 Brasil Global Tour, and the 2016 Singapore National Day Parade (NDP).[3] It is also one of the alternating venues of the Basic Military Training graduation parade for the Singapore Armed Forces recruits since September 2015.

History

Construction

Construction work for the sports hub started in 2010 due to the delays caused by the 2008 financial crisis and soaring construction costs. By September 2011, the pilling and the foundation of the stadium was completed and construction on the steelworks of the stadium fixed roof started. In July 2013, the installation of the stadium final primary steel 'runway truss' for the roof was completed marking the completion of the steelworks on the National Stadium's fixed roof in preparation for installation of the retractable roof.[4][5] The stadium was set to be completed in April 2014, however, In February 2014, Sports Hub CEO Philippe Collin Delavaud announced that the National Stadium's completion was pushed back to June 2014.[6]

Stadium specifics and features

Spectator seating "modes"

The stadium has mechanised and automated configurable spectator tiers depending on the event that will be hosted, namely "Football/Rugby mode", "Cricket mode" and "Athletics mode". To reconfigure from the athletics mode to the football/rugby mode, the lowest spectator tier can be moved 12.5 meters forward, obscuring the athletics running track underneath the seats and thus bringing spectators close to the pitch to provide optimum spectator viewing distances. It takes approximately 48 hours to reconfigure seating arrangements to suit an upcoming event.[7][8] An energy-efficient cooling system is also designed to deliver cooled air to every seat in the stadium while using less than 15 percent of energy as compared to a conventional air-conditioned stadium, providing every spectator a cool and comfortable time to enjoy an event.

Ground exterior view of the stadium

Dome and retractable roof

Retractable roof of the stadium

The National Stadium currently holds the record of the largest dome structure in the world.[9] The retractable roof itself will take an approximate 25 minutes to open or close. The roof is made out of a lightweight material called ETFE, which is weather-resistant and blocks the sun's heat, giving shade and protecting spectators from the hot and humid Singapore weather and potential torrential rain.[10] At night, the retractable roof doubles as a giant projector screen on both sides, which can display images such as the Singapore Flag during the National Day Parade.[11]

Transport

Mass Rapid Transit

The stadium is located above the underground Stadium MRT station on the Circle Line. Trains arrive every five to six minutes during off-peak hours, and two to three minutes during peak hours and event days. Other MRT stations nearby are Kallang MRT station which can be accessed using a sheltered walkway, and Mountbatten MRT station. Both of these stations are within 600 metres (2,000 ft) of the stadium. The upcoming Tanjong Rhu MRT station will complement the existing stations once completed in 2023.

Buses and taxis

Bus stops are located around the Sports Hub complex along Stadium Walk, Stadium Boulevard and Nicoll Highway, with buses serving nearby districts and the city. Taxi stands are also conveniently available near the National Stadium, Singapore Indoor Stadium and Leisure Park Kallang.

Criticisms

Pitch quality

The initial Desso GrassMaster system made of synthetic fibres and natural grass was widely criticised for its sandy nature.[12][13] Afterwards, S$1.5 million of special growth lights were installed to stimulate and speed up the growth of the grass, with one of the main concerns being getting the pitch ready for the 2014 Suzuki Cup at the end of the year.[14] Eventually, the grass still failed to grow well and was replaced by the Eclipse Stabilised Turf in May 2015.[15]

National Day Parade

The old National Stadium was demolished to make way for the Sports Hub, which was seen as a possible new location for future National Day Parades (NDP) in Singapore. The venue hosted the NDP in 2016, two years after opening. However, the new stadium is considered unsuitable as the Singapore Armed Forces Parachute Team is unable to parachute into the domed stadium due to safety concerns.[16]

The dome structure also obstructs the view from outside, making the traditional military flypast and outdoor fireworks hard to observe for the stadium spectators.[16] Heavy armoured military vehicles also cannot drive past spectators as the stadium tracks are not designed to accommodate them.[17][18]

It is also three times more expensive for the government to hold national day parade at the new stadium compared to the temporary floating platform, Float@Marina Bay, despite being a public-private partnership.[16] Under the contract between the Sports Hub and Singapore Government, NDP organisers were allowed 45 days of free annual usage of the venue. However, technicians and performers reported that the time frame needed to be extended to 80 days, to which the Sports Hub requested an additional $10 million.[19] In the end the total cost of running the event (rental) in 2016 was S$39.4 million.[20] In October 2017, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the Marina Bay Floating Platform will be used as the primary venue for future NDPs.[21]

Events

Japan versus Brazil in football during the first sell-out crowd. 14 October 2014[22]

The National Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and other events during the 2015 Southeast Asian Games. Other sports events included the World Club 10s Rugby in June 2014, a friendly match between Juventus and a Singapore Selection side in August 2014, which was the first-ever football match at the new stadium. The friendly match between Brazil and Japan in October 2014 is the first-ever sell-out crowd of 55,000 at the stadium. It also hosted the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup in November 2014. It is the venue of all the matches of the 2015 Barclays Asia Trophy that is held in Singapore. The stadium was the venue for the 2016 National Day Parade.

From June 2014 onwards, the stadium will also host cricket with day-night One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals matches. International Cricket Council's Vice President Mustafa Kama indicated that there is a possibility of moving its headquarters from Dubai to Singapore, increasing the probability of hosting international cricket fixtures at the stadium.[23]

Concerts

Concerts from artists outside Asia are highlighted in light blue.

See also

References

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