Boogertman Urban Edge and Partners

South Africa's premier soccer venue is the FNB Stadium, known as Soccer City. It seats a massive 80,000 individuals, and made for a thrilling sight on 3 February 1996, when Bafana Bafana beat Tunisia in the final of the African Cup of Nations. Built in 1987, South Africa's national soccer stadium has played host to some of the most memorable matches in the country's soccer history.

Soccer City is South Africa's foremost soccer venue and it will be the main venue for the 2010 Football World Cup, hosting the final. It is set to be enlarged from its present seating capacity of 80,000 to 94,700 for soccer's showcase event.

Some significant changes will be made to the present two-tiered bowl for the World Cup: the upper tier will be extended around the stadium, while an encircling roof will be added. New changing rooms will be developed, and new floodlights installed. The upgrades are expected to be completed by April 2007.

Soccer City is home to the South African Football Association and often used as a venue for matches featuring Bafana Bafana, as well as the massive local rivalry between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Soccer City Stadium is one of architecture in South Africa for 2010 FIFA World Cup, designed by Boogertaman + Partners. Construction Technology, considering the magnitude of this fast-track project, it is not surprising that a variety of innovative means are being used to construct some of the elements involved.

The design of the stadium was selected from a series of concept designs ranging from acknowledgement of Jo’burg’s disappearing mine dumps; the kgotla (defined by the tree) of the African city state; the African map as a horizontal representation, which included the roof as a desert plane supported on tropical trees set within the mineral wealth of Southern Africa; to a representation of the protea, our national flower.

The calabash, or African pot, was selected as being the most recognizable object to represent what would automatically be associated with the African continent and not any other.

The calabash, or ‘melting pot of African cultures’, sits on a raised podium, on top of which is located a ‘pit of fire’. Thus the pot sits in a depression, which is the ‘pit of fire’, as if it were being naturally fired.

Designed by Boogertaman + Partners as the center of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the Soccer City Stadium utilizing concrete products extensively, both as complex structural elements as well as for aesthetic finishes. And the project won the “Concrete in Architecture award” for the innovative culturally identifiable form of the calabash (African pot) which stimulates a truly African image to the rest of the world.

The existing structural concrete profile of the two suite levels and upper tier are extended all round to encircle the pitch. The existing lower embankment is rebuilt in insitu off-shutter concrete to vastly improve the view lines and comfort of the most popular seats in the house. The upper third of the existing embankment is raised to form a secondary tier on new concrete rakers and pre-cast concrete steppings. The upper embankment and the rebuilt lower embankment are accessible from the lower concourse, which is fed from the podium level. The two suite levels and the upper tier are accessed via 3-dimensional concrete ramp structures that are contained within the façade of the pot. The suite levels also have separate lift and stair lobbies at each corner for secure VIP access.

The pot’s façade is made up of fibre reinforced concrete panels, in a selection of 8 colours and 2 textures that reference the shades and textures of the calabash. The pot is punctured by open or glazed panels that suggest pattern on the façade, which comes into its own when the inside volumes are illuminated. The façade is articulated by 10 vertical slots which are aligned geographically with the 9 other 2010 stadia as well as the Berlin stadium. They are -representative of the road to the final. The calabash façade is supported by inclined off shutter 3 dimensional curved concrete columns which have a horizontal eccentricity of 6.5m in relation to its base.

The upper roof, which is cantilevered from an enormous triangular spatial ring truss, is covered by a PTFE membrane in a colour similar to that of mine-dump sand. The bottom of the trusses will be covered by a perforated mesh membrane, thus giving the appearance of a smooth under-slung ceiling. The triangular spatial ring truss is supported by twelve, 40 meter high concrete shafts which are subjected to huge tension and compressive forces and -consequently have piles which are anchored in the bedrock.

The choice of concrete for the bulk of the structure was taken to match with the existing structural profile so as to enable all pre-cast units to be made on site, and to improve on the costs and lead times of a structural steel framework.

THE SITE
The site is directly north of the proposed new Nasrec Transportation Hub and pedestrian mall, linking the stadium to the redeveloped Expo Centre to the south. The transportation hub will accommodate taxi, bus, and rapid transit services, thus providing good public transport links to the precinct and the stadium. A secondary Bus Rapid Transit station is also proposed on the Soweto highway to the north of the stadium, which will further strengthen the public transport links to the stadium. All of this is to be set in a revamped Nasrec precinct, which will boast new roads, and pedestrian walkways with lighting, signage, landscaping, CCTV, and public amenities.

The architectural design of the stadium was selected from a series of concept designs, ranging from acknowledgement of Jo’burg’s disappearing mine dumps; the kgotla (defined by the tree) of the African city state; the African map as a horizontal representation, which included the roof as a desert plane supported on tropical trees set within the mineral wealth of Southern African; to a representation of the protea, our national flower.

The calabash, or African pot design, proposed by Boogertman Urban Edge + Partners was selected as being the most recognisable object to represent what would automatically be associated with the African continent and not any other. The calabash, or ‘melting pot of African cultures’, sits on a raised podium, on top of which is located a ‘pit of fire’. Thus the pot sits in a depression, which is the ‘pit of fire’, as if it were being naturally fired. The pit of fire demarcates the security and turnstile line separating the outer areas and the secure inner areas.

The structural profile of the existing suite levels and upper-tier seating of the existing western grandstand are extended all round to encircle the pitch. The existing lower embankment will be rebuilt to vastly improve the view lines and comfort of the most popular seats in the house. The upper third of the existing embankment is to be raised to form a secondary tier, thus turning the stadium into a 3-tiered, rather than a 2-tiered, stadium. The upper embankment and the rebuilt lower embankment are accessible from the lower concourse, which is fed from the podium level. The two suite levels and the upper tier are accessed via 3-dimensional ramp structures that are contained within the façade of the pot. The suite levels also have separate lift and stair lobbies at each corner for dedicated secure VIP access.

The pot’s façade is made up of laminated fibre reinforced concrete panels, in a selection of 8 colours and 2 textures that make reference to the shades and textures of the calabash. The pot is punctured by open or glazed panels which create a suggestion of pattern on the façade that comes into its own when the inside volumes are illuminated. The façade is articulated by 10 vertical slots which are aligned geographically with the 9 other 2010 stadia, as well as the Berlin stadium. These are representative of the road to the final, and it is hoped that, after the World Cup, the scores of each game at each venue will be placed in pre-cast concrete panels on the podium. A visit to the stadium will thus provide one with a full history of the World Cup and all its scores.

The upper roof, which is cantilevered from an enormous triangular spatial ring truss, is covered by a PTFE membrane in a colour similar to that of the adjacent mine-dump sand. The bottom of the trusses will be covered by a perforated mesh membrane, thus giving the appearance of a smooth under-slung ceiling.
All VIP areas and the stadium management offices will be located behind the main western grandstand, with a dedicated VIP entrance. New change rooms, media work areas, auditorium, and VIP parking are located within a new basement under the podium on the western side of the stadium.

Architect:
Architects: Boogertman Urban Edge & Partners, Johannesburg (ZA)

Substructure:
Cimolai Costruzioni Metalliche (IT)
Metallbau Valenta, Fieberbrunn (AT)
Product Information:

30.000 m² concrete skin 13 mm in typical african colours (sandstone, terra, mocca brown, terracotta, haima red, sahara…)
approx. 17.000 fibreC panels
Surface: FE Ferro and MA Matt

The new icon of the FIFA World Cup 2010 will host both the opening and the final matches.

© Boogertman Urban Edge and Partners in partnership with Populous