"Cool Dome" design wins Singapore Sports Hub project
19
Januray 2008
SINGAPORE:
The "Cool Dome" design, submitted by the Singapore Sports
Hub consortium, will be Singapore's next iconic structure.
The
Singapore government on Saturday revealed the consortium as its preferred
bidder for the Singapore Sports Hub project.
The
consortium beats two other bids.
These
were the "Horse shoe shaped design" submitted by the Singapore
Gold consortium and the "wrapped-Stadium design" submitted
by the Alpine Mayreder.
The
new sports hub will be completed by end 2011 and will cost some S$1.2
billion.
The
integrated complex includes a 55,000-seat capacity stadium with a
retractable roof, an aquatic centre, multi-purpose arena and retail
space.
In
sunny Singapore, the "dome" will allow plenty of ventilation
and help bring the temperatures down along with spot cooling for the
seats.
But
it was the consortium's proposal of sports, entertainment and community
programmes that won the vote.
Dr
Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development Youth and
Sports, said: "They were strongest in offering a comprehensive
sporting calendar. For instance they guaranteed 90 event days at the
National Stadium and at least 46 sport event days at the Singapore
Indoor Stadium. The programme consists of a well balanced mix of local,
regional and international sporting events and across a wide spectrum
of sports which we believe will resonate with our people."
Among
the events lined up include an ASEAN clubs soccer league and international
cricket matches.
The
consortium will have to design, build, operate and finance the project,
a first in the world for a mega sports hub.
Dr
Balakrishnan said: "Which means the government is not liable
for the capital expenditure. What we do is in exchange for contracted
services, at a standard that we specify, we will pay the consortium,
a pre-agreed sum every year for 25 years."
The
consortium is also proposing to set up a 'Premier Park Foundation'
to help fund activities and facilities.
Funding
for the Foundation will be done by reinvesting a large portion of
the Sports Hub's commercial revenues.
Ludwig
Reichhold, MD, Dragages - Singapore Sports Hub Consortium, said: "The
estimate of S$800 million was established sometime in 2005 at the
time when the construction cost in Singapore was much lower than it
is now, the current construction cost of S$1.2 billion is the combined
result of the increase of materials and labour in Singapore over the
past couple of year which has been quite steep."
But
there is still much work to be done for the consortium before the
deal is made final, among them sorting out the legal documentation
and even fine tuning the design.
All
the paperwork is expected to be completed by March.
After
which the Consortium has to demolish the current National Stadium
and complete the new complex by end 2011.
