Three groups unveil designs and plans, which include bringing in top sporting events
TOP sporting events, a 24/7 year-round lifestyle destination and ample entertainment and retail options.
Singaporeans were promised all these and more when the three consortiam bidding to build the Sports Hub - which will replace the 34-year-old National Stadium - unveiled their designs and proposals yesterday.
The project will transform the Kallang waterfront area from a sleepy nook into a world-class athletic and recreational centre.
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The three bidders are the Alpine group, which includes local construction firm Woh Hup; SingaporeGold (SG), which is led by the Macquarie Group; and the Singapore Sports Hub (SSH) group, which counts design firm Arup Sports among its members.
The groups have employed architects who have been involved in some world-famous projects, such as Beijing's National Stadium - better known as the 'Bird's Nest' - and Munich's Allianz Arena, and have promised that Singapore's new stadium will be equally iconic.
Alpine's proposal, for example, centres on a stadium that bears a resemblance to the Allianz Arena, the most memorable of the 12 venues for last year's soccer World Cup in Germany because of its exterior, which resembles a pillow.
The group's plan calls for a similar stadium encased in a translucent membrane made of material similar to Teflon.
Alpine also has plans for a man-made beach along the Kallang waterfront.
The SSH's 'Premier Park' proposal involves a dome-shaped stadium with a lightweight retractable roof that can be programmed to provide different colour schemes at night.
The covered roof will allow for the projection of images, similar to that of a 'giant IMAX screen', said the group's lead architect, J. Parrish, who had a hand in designing the 'Bird's Nest' in Beijing.
Its proposal also includes go-karting and white-water rafting facilities.
The last bidder, SG, unveiled its proposal for a horseshoe-shaped stadium that opens out directly onto the waterfront in March. It did not announce any major changes to its plan yesterday.
The three groups had submitted their designs earlier in the year, but were made to go back to the drawing board when the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) announced in June that that a public water sports centre, located at the site of the Oasis building, had to be incorporated.
They were given until September to submit the refined proposals, which were kept under wraps until they were presented to the media yesterday.
Apart from unique building designs, each consortium also promises to make Singapore a flagship venue for international sports events.
Proposals include an annual pre-season tournament involving top European soccer teams, international cricket matches and tennis tournaments.
The Sports Hub is the world's first and largest sports facility infrastructure involving a public-private partnership. The scheme is one in which the private sector designs, builds, finances and operates public facilities.
The hub is expected to cost between $650 million and $800 million. It will include a new 55,000-capacity stadium with a retractable roof, a 6,000-capacity indoor aquatic centre, and a 3,000-seater multi-purpose arena, as well as retail and other recreational facilities.
The winning bidder will be announced in January, and construction is expected to be completed in 2011.
The evaluation process is ongoing, and a committee will soon submit its reports to the approval authority, which is chaired by Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.
S'pore Sports Hub - a sneak preview
Competition heats up for the three consortia bidding for the rights to build the Singapore Sports Hub, as all players unveiled their designs and proposals today.Even a change in concept midway - to have a water sports centre included in the Sports Hub - did little to dampen the overall concept of the three proposals.
Bidders banked on unique infrastructure, eco-friendly technology and good old sentimentalism - but will it be enough to win?
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S'pore Sports Hub - a sneak preview
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