BANGKOK
KITTIKACHORN STADIUM
LIKE an enormous umbrella of al-
uminium and glass, supported on a network of high tensile steel cables, the circular roof of the new Kittika- chorn Stadium in Bangkok covers 11,000 sq. metres and has a clear span of 91 metres.
The form of the roof elements. with steeply pitched slopes, is derived directly from the traditional Thai architectural form which gives airy interiors and is so well suited to heavy tropical rainfall and to high humidity.
The new stadium, built in only eighteen months and completed last November in time for the Fifth Asian Games, is finished in white marble and gold. It rises from a podium above the level of the surrounding green plain at Hua Mak.
Large open-sided concourses and entrances facilitate crowd movement and also provide exhibition space at a relatively low cost. The three en- trances are placed radially and are designed to give an exciting and dramatic approach to the amphithea- tre. In these entrances sculptural de- corations by Thai artists form backdrop to water pools and the different levels and planes and in- triguing structural forms are set in a pattern of bright colours and textures. New vistas unfold as the spectator proceeds over the various levels and
Far East Architect & Builder May, 1967
a
LOUIS BERGER INC.
STANLEY JEWKES ARIBA
OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF THAILAND
DAMRONG CONSTRUCTION CO.
over the open, cantilevered staircases until the vast amphitheatre is entered.
The main amphitheatre is an oval reinforced concrete bowl with a lower terrace of seats accessible through tunnels from the podium concourse and with an upper terrace accessible from the upper concourse. The en- trances and concourses are designed to allow the stadium to be filled in 30 minutes and emptied within five minutes.
Multi-purpose Building
The terraces form one wall of a fresh air plenum. air being blown through the seats to give maximum comfort to the spectators. A great ring of gold anodized aluminium louvres surrounds the upper con- course and is operated electrically from a central control room, enabling bulk air movements within the stadium to be eliminated when badminton is being played.
The building is a multi-purpose
architects and engineers
designing architect
clients
general contractor
stadium, auditorium, cultural centre and exhibition hall, For fairs and exhibitions 20,000 people can be accommodated and there is seating for up to 12,000 in the oval amphi- theatre. Space for exhibitions amounts to about 9,000 square metres. The many facilities needed to cater for this variety of activities include an electrically operated rising stage which disappears below floor level for sporting events.
An electronic brain, manipulated by three operators working in front of mimic panels in the central con- trol room, directs the complex in- stallations which include lighting, sound, rising stage, scoreboards and ventilation.
Care has been taken to provide glare-free lighting and to enhance the architectural features of the structure. Natural lighting of the arena is pro- vided by a central clerestory and artificial lighting of high power and brilliance 18 shed from concealed reflecting sources housed in the cen-
43