When the Singapore authorities set about designing a new national stadium the vision was for a multi-purpose stadium that could host a multitude events from football, rugby or cricket matches to athletics meets or concerts. It had to meet the needs of all types of events, which meant moving spectators closer to the action when the athletics track wasn’t in use, to maximise potential space and bring it long-term financial viability.
To make this happen, the stadium was fitted with a huge travelling scissor lift that moves around a track under the stadium on a cushion of air pushing the lower tier of seats over the running track. This left a nine metre wide gap where additional seating could be installed.
SERAPID was invited to design a solution. The result was a bespoke lifting platform, using its LinkLift robust Rigid Chain Technology (RCT) that can guide, with the help of lightweight scissor guiding, 43 additional concourse seating sections weighing 100 tonnes, up into precise position.
The moveable machine, operated by just two personnel at a time, can raise each concourse in three minutes, making the stadium the only truly custom-designed multi-functional stadium in the world.
Certified by EU Directive EN81-31, the high capacity, reliable system has the added advantage of being space-saving too, requiring just a shallow pit in order to operate. The lift provides an amazing combination of undeniable strength, speed and precision allowing quick and efficient reconfiguration of the stadium; thereby adding capacity and ensuring that spectators, whatever the event, get as close as possible to the action.