The new national stadium of Singapore was opened on 30 June 2014. In 2015, it will be the venue of the 28th South-East Asian Games. It features 55,000 seats and replaces the old national stadium, which was closed on 30 June 2007 and then demolished in 2010. It is a visionary dome construction, coated with ultra-light ETFE material. The national stadium is part of the Singapore Sports Hub, a gigantic, 35-hectare large sports, leisure and entertainment centre. It is currently being built on the banks of Kallang bay, which is a first-rate harbour area in Singapore. The futuristic national stadium forms the centre of the new Sports Hub, setting new standards in all areas of modern architecture. The spectator stands, for example, are mobile, and an energy-efficient air-conditioning concept supplies each of the 55,000 seats with fresh air. At the same time, the required energy is only 15% of the energy required by a conventional fully air-conditioned stadium.
However, the centrepiece of the new national stadium is the complex, mobile roof construction. The roof dome can be opened or closed as required, is weather-resistant and efficiently provides shade for athletes and spectators alike. With a span of 315m, it is the largest roof dome of a sports arena in the world. The two mobile roof segments with a total surface area of 20,000m² are moved by special wire ropes produced by the CASAR Company. The sophisticated application, combined with the extreme climatic conditions typical for regions near the equator, is also a complex task for us as a rope manufacturer. In addition, a lifespan of 60 years with the ease of maintenance was required. All these requirements ultimately led to a modified CASAR Paraplast rope construction. Thanks to its double-parallel make, CASAR Paraplast offers high flexibility, and the core sheathed in plastic ensures both a long lifespan and the necessary running smoothness. The compacted outer strands ensure high breaking resistance and good sitting conditions of the rope on the drum. In addition, a special surface coating of the wires in combination with a special lubricant provides effective corrosion protection and ease of maintenance.