This week, our team in Shanghai took to the construction site of the new Pudong Stadium, where rapid progress is being made. Designed by HPP architects, the form of the stadium is to be reminiscent of a traditional Chinese porcelain bowl. What will later be the stadium’s evenly shimmering, white facade, can be anticipated on a mock-up on site. Meanwhile, the construction of the supporting structure of the grandstands is very advanced. Our office in Shanghai is responsible for the structural design of the roof as well as for the construction supervision.
The stadium’s ring cable roof was designed with an internal pressure ring and a tension ring underneath. This way, the roof geometry is not determined by the compression and tension ring but follows the corresponding flow of forces, independent from the outer and inner edge of the roof.
Currently, the radial cables of the tension and compression ring are pretensioned with hydraulic presses. The next step will be the installation of the cantilever beams. Afterwards, the roof’s temporary support towers can be removed.
We are delighted with the visible progress of the roof structure and look forward to the opening of the new stadium, which is planned for spring 2021.