NDP back at National Stadium: Setting the stage

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Despite the size of the National Stadium, it took only 22 days to turn it into this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) venue.

The features include a 3,760 sq m stage – about the size of nine basketball courts – lights, speakers and aerialist platforms.

Chairman of the Infrastructure & Decorations Committee (IDC), Colonel (NS) (Ret) Clement Hendricks, 63, said at a press interview last month: “One of the driving forces… to finish it as early as possible (is that) we are very excited about the amount of things the Show Committee (which is in charge of arranging the performances) can do.”

He said: “We just want to give it to (the Show Committee) as early as possible so that they can start rehearsals.”

This year’s parade will return to the National Stadium for the first time in 10 years.

Unlike past parades, held at the open-air Marina Bay Floating Platform, the new venue is an enclosed area.

And Col (NS) (Ret) Hendricks made sure he used that to his advantage.

Spectators this year can expect props and performers above them.

Four aerialist platforms were constructed and rigged up onto the dome to facilitate movement in eight different directions.

The IDC also installed 1,020 lighting fixtures and 36 high-powered laser units on the dome.

STRUCTURE

Col (NS) (Ret) Hendricks said the structure of the National Stadium made their job easier as they could save time.

He said: “(It is an) enclosed environment so there is no weather interference.”

They did not need to build the seats and the existing trusses need only be augmented, he said.

“The overhead trusses can augment the show and give it a different dimension,” he said.

A total of 320 workers from 12 contractors worked on this project.

Adding that the contractors were specialists that have worked on big projects, he said: “Combining their expertise with ours, I think we have a winning team.”

BY THE NUMBERS

55,000

Number of expected spectators at the parade

320

Number of workers to transform the stadium

22

Number of days of construction

84,480

Number of man-hours used in construction

3,760

Size of the stage in sq m

12,000

Pieces of plywood used to construct the stage

224

Tonnes of structural steel used to construct the stage

250

Number of speakers

1,020

Number of lighting fixtures

36

Number of high-powered laser units

66

Number of digital projectors

constgoh@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on July 16, 2016.
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Sunday, July 17, 2016 – 00:00
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