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DP personalities
What is special about Sports Hub to you? SCH: As the largest public-private partnership set-up in the world to date, the unique part of Sports Hub is the scale and complexity of collaboration. From the design perspective, we had to creatively balance the numerous diverse stakeholder considerations such as construction techniques and economics of building, facilities management needs, the way the venue will be operated, crowd control, etc., to produce a design that not only works well during events, but is relevant and inviting when there is no event. The last major sports infrastructure projects in Singapore were the old Kallang stadium in 1973 and Singapore Indoor Stadium in 1989. The design team was effectively creating a new benchmark for the sports and leisure-based building typology in the region. To me, the power and potential of a project of this nature to positively reshape the sporting and social landscape also made it one-of-a-kind.
Describe your working relationship with each other. SCH: Phillip and I first met in 2000 in UK through his younger brother who was my colleague at Foster & Partners. We met again four years later. I had returned to Singapore and Phillip, who was with BuroHappold, had just completed the National Library project. During that time, in 2005, before the formation of DP Engineers, our chairman Mr Chan Sui Him was already advocating the integration of architecture and engineering as a more holistic way of design. Strategically, we invited Phillip to collaborate on some scheme proposals
“Managing DP’s team of 50 at the site office was in effect running a small practice. We can be proud of what we have delivered in spite of the manpower and time constraints.” - Phillip PW: Like Chee Huang, the big attraction for me was also the scale and the type of building; it’s a one-off. Jobs like these are usually very interesting – the process, the collaboration, and the people you meet and the conversations you have. This is probably one of the most satisfying jobs I’ve undertaken. I’ve picked up many things from many people I’ve met over these six-anda-half years. Managing DP’s team of 50 remotely at the site office was in effect running a small practice. HP understands my skill set very well and trusted me to manage the project, but he was always there when I needed his decisions. That relationship worked well and allowed me freedom to manage it my own way, which I appreciate a lot. We had changes in personnel over the years, but generally all who passed through the DP Sports Hub team worked well together, and we can be proud of what we have delivered in spite of the manpower and time constraints.
in our studio, to explore how structural and architectural design can be better integrated and refined. Phillip proved to be that engineer with an eye for design, and we continued to work together on several design schemes. In 2008, things fell in place when our team won Sports Hub; HP made Phillip an offer, and we began our journey on the project together. Our working relationship has always been very collaborative and discursive in nature. Mutual respect is the key to our successful teamwork under HP’s leadership. We were mindful to
constantly give each other space to do our stuff but, when needed, were also open to ideas and approaches that best value-add to the project. The partnership with Phillip on Sports Hub was dynamic, enriching and positive; one that I truly enjoyed. PW: In terms of roles, at the beginning of the project, Chee Huang led in the development of master plan, architectural planning and layouts, while I was fronting broader matters, such as overarching issues with Dragages as well as overseeing most of the authority submissions. Into the first year of the award, Chee Huang started to focus on refinement of the architectural components as well as developing key expressions such as the envelope and façade screen design. That’s one of the key areas where we worked well together – he generated the ideas and proposals, while I added further pragmatism and logic to it. I would put on my engineer hat and go, “Look, you need to consider this and this because we are trying to make this a reality”. As an engineer, I find that you need to let the architect have a certain amount of creative space and freedom. When the time is right to ask for practical advice to make the design a reality, that’s when Chee Huang has a discussion with me. By the same token, I would remind him to bear in mind certain considerations in design conceptions, so that the practical constraints don’t take away the heart of something he was trying to achieve. Most creative processes have that – how to simplify while staying true to the vision and not worry about the chaff. In this way, we work really well together.