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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1981
HUNG HOM STADIUM ROOF LOWERED INTO POSITION
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THE 1 300-TONNE SPACE-FRAME ROOF STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG'S +INVERTED PYRAMID+ MULTI-PURPOSE INDOOR STADIUM IN HUNG HOM, WAS TODAY LOWERED TO ITS DESIGNATED POSITION ON THE EDGES OF THE WALLS OF THE STADIUM, MARKING THE COMPLETION OF ANOTHER PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
OFFICIATING AT THE LOWERING CEREMONY, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR DAVID MCDONALD, POINTED OUT THAT THE DOUBLE-DECK ROOF SPANNING 103.3 METRES, WAS THE LARGEST SPAN IN HONG KONG PROVIDING A COLUMN-FREE INTERIOR SPACE.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE STADIUM WAS DONE IN THREE SEPARATE PHASES.
FIRST THE ROOF STRUCTURE WAS CONSTRUCTED ON THE PODIUM FLOOR OF THE HUNG HOM RAILWAY TERMINUS COMPLEX AND THEN HOISTED TO A POSITION ABOUT 24 METRES ABOVE THE FLOOR AND SUPPORTED TEMPORARILY ON FOUR STEEL TOWERS.
PHASE TWO, WHICH HAD JUST BEEN COMPLETED, INVOLVED THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUPPORTING SIDE WALLS.
PHASE THREE WOULD INCLUDE THE REMAINING STRUCTURAL WORKS AND THE FINISHING WORKS. THIS WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT YEAR, MR MCDONALD SAID.
BECAUSE THE STADIUM WAS BUILT ON THE PODIUM DECK ABOVE THE RAILWAY TRACKS, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUPPORTS COULD BE PROVIDED AT GROUND LEVEL, SO AS TO AVOID DISRUPTING THE TRACKS.
+AS A RESULT OF THIS CONSTRAINT, THE DESIGN OF THE STADIUM TOOK THIS BOLD FORM IN THE SHAPE OF AN INVERTED PYRAMID RESTING ON SUPPORTS WHICH ARE CARRIED DOWN THROUGH THE TRACK LEVEL TO THE CAISSON FOUNDATIONS,+ MR MCDONALD SAID.
BEFORE ACTIVATING THE MECHANISM TO LOWER THE ROOF
MR MCDONALD CONGRATULATED THE PROJECT TEAM, PARTICULARLY ON LEE AND CO., THE ROOF SPACE-FRAME CONTRACTORS, AND TECHNIC CONSTRUCTION CO., THE GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE WALLS.
THE $133 MILLION INDOOR STADIUM WILL HAVE A SEATING CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 12 000 PEOPLE AND WILL BE AIR-CONDITIONED.
AMONG ITS MAJOR FEATURES WILL BE A FOUR-SIDED VIDEO SCREEN, SUSPENDED ABOVE THE CENTRE OF THE ARENA AND INCORPORATING A SCOREBOARD AND CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION FACILITIES.
SUCH EQUIPMENT, PROVIDING LARGER-THAN-LIFE CLOSE-UPS AND INSTANT REPLAYS, ALL IN COLOUR, WILL GIVE OPTIMUM VISUAL PLEASURE TO SPECTATORS.
THE ARENA ITSELF WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH FOR TWO BASKETBALL COURTS, VOLLEYBALL COURTS OR TENNIS COURTS, OR FOR EIGHT BADMINTON COURTS OR 24 TABLE-TENNIS TABLES AT ONE TIME.
OTHER FACILITIES WILL INCLUDE CHANGING ROOMS, MEETING ROOMS, GENERAL OFFICES, A LARGE EQUIPMENT STORE, FURNITURE STORE, CONTROL COUNTERS, BOOKING OFFICES AND TOILETS.
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