8> In order to meet the challenging budget, MOTT McDonald in London optimised the roof design to be extremely light, setting a world standard for design weights. The roof design has won the British Overseas Expertise Award in the sport and leisure category. “The architects followed universally accepted stadium principles and used the FIFA Technical Recommendations and Requirements for the Construction or Modernisation of Football Stadia, 2000 and the ‘Guide to Safety at Sport Grounds’ (Green Guide) HMSO 1997,” say Roberts and Bell.
Construction The client, Mbombela Municipality, wanted a stadium design that could fit approximately 45 000 seats and one that was suitable to host preliminary 2010 World Cup Group stage matches. The stadium had to be FIFA compliant in terms of safety and designed according to the British Published Green Guide. It had to be constructed within the budgets provided as, unlike larger municipalities elsewhere in South Africa, this municipality did not have funds to cover extra costs over and above the initial budget.
TOP: The colourful interior creates an exciting and vibrant atmosphere. CENTRE & ABOVE: Zebra-striped seats enhance the wild animalistic feel of the stadium.
The stadium was built on a site that has an estimated 5 metre slope from end to end, which is ideal, but the ground conditions proved difficult with excessive clay necessitating expensive foundation piles. “Four legged concrete columns built at 10 metre intervals were poured incrementally around the stadium. The steel roof structure followed, assembled module by module. The pre-cast seating tiers and steps followed as the poured concrete cured. The lower tier excavated into the ground was relatively independent of the main structure and could therefore be installed according to its own ideal programme,” explain Roberts and Bell. Out of all the stadiums used for the FIFA 2010 World Cup, the Mbombela Stadium has the lowest per seat cost. The stadium can seat up to 43 500 spectators,