For the 2010 World Cup, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium by gmp architekten is a 46,000 seater stadium situated on South Africa’s south-east coastline, Port Elizabeth. The stadium has an eye-catching, unique roof structure and a spectacular view, overlooking the North End Lake.

The geometry of the roof is tailored to local conditions, and protects the crowd not only from the sun but particularly from the frequent strong winds. The distinctive design of the roof results from the alternating arrangement of clad girders and areas of membrane stretched between them.

gmp architekten

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, image © Marcus Bredt

+ Project description courtesy of gmp architekten

Port Elizabeth, one of South Africa's largest cities, is located in Algoa Bay (Indian Ocean) in Eastern Cape Province, and is now part of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. The third largest port in the country is economically dominated by its role as the principal center of the South African motor industry. In addition, "P. E." attracts numerous visitors from home and abroad with its extensive range of water sports, all-year-round temperate climate and proximity to important national parks. With its selection as a venue for the 2010 World Cup, a new World Cup-quality stadium was needed. The quarterfinals stadium, with a crowd capacity of 46,000, is the largest venue space in P.E., and was conceived as a distinctive, new iconic landmark for the "Windy City", as it is known.

The stadium is situated close to the center with good transport links, in the direct vicinity of North End Lake, a hitherto neglected part of the city with otherwise poor infrastructure. Lying between the sea and the lake with enormous development potential, it was a location ripe for the sports park scheme that has been developed. Apart from hosting football and rugby matches, it offers a variety of opportunities for water sports and cycling. As a leisure centre, it has a unique environmental quality and multifunctional capacity the city has hitherto lacked.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, image © Marcus Bredt

As a freestanding building, the stadium is situated on a raised podium in direct proximity to the lake, in the middle of the gently moving topography of the park. The stadium springs like a flower from the ground, offering a unique image with its reflection in the water. Its silhouette is notable for the curves of the roof girders and clear configuration of the concrete primary structure below, which forms a two-storey colonnaded gallery. This runs round the entire stadium, and is open to anyone visiting the park on non-match-days. The glazed suite level marks the horizontal termination of the colonnades on which the roof girders rest, their tips running down to floor level in the lounges. From here they unfurl upwards like leaves, towards the middle of the stadium.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, image © Marcus Bredt

The geometry of the roof is tailored to local conditions, and protects the crowd not only from the sun but particularly from the frequent strong winds. The distinctive design of the roof results from the alternating arrangement of clad girders and areas of membrane stretched between them. An external top chord with an elevated ridge was used to give the girders a more dramatic look. The PTFE-membrane zones in the intermediate fields are divided into two zones by a valley cable, producing an alternating pattern of rib shapes and hollows that is reinforced by the alternation of materials. The aluminum cladding of the triple parabolic girders is perforated in the lower area, giving varying degrees of transparency so as to allow VIPs and circulation areas a spectacular view of the park, lake and sea while still providing the necessary sun screening.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, image © Marcus Bredt

The clear articulation of the exposed roof trusses is obvious from the inside. The alternation between opaque and translucent roof coverings produces an interesting interplay of light and shadow in the interior. During the day, the membrane areas provide natural illumination beneath the roof. In order to soften the lines of shadow on the pitch, the translucent part of the roof membrane was maximized towards the inner edge of the roof.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, image © Marcus Bredt

On the inner edge of the roof, an encircling edge beam links the tips of the girders to form a platform for the technical equipment. Here, maintenance access, floodlighting and installations are located above the roof membrane and so are not in direct line of view from below. The installations for the stands are thus reduced to acoustic and surveillance equipment and integrated into the roof structure. The inner roof termination features as a sharp edge.

The two-tier stadium has a deep lower tier rising in a gentle parabola. At mid-height, it has openings leading directly to the external gallery. Inner circulation routes provide visitors with easy access to all service areas and somewhere to stretch their legs. The upper tier above the box level with the corporate entertainment gallery is divided into two zones, so as to allow flexible subsequent use of the intermediate floor thus created at upper gallery level. This will be used for event space of varying sizes while also providing a number of extra boxes, needed particularly for rugby matches. These rooms have fully glazed fronts facing the pitch, while the perforation of the roof covering offers magnificent views and good environmental quality. The remaining rows of the upper tier are accessed diagonally by wide stairways. Whereas the geometrical simplicity of the primary structure radiates calm clarity, the rounded stands of the arena offer optimal views of the pitch and guarantee a highly charged atmosphere.

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, image © Marcus Bredt

The design fulfills all functional, technical and climatic conditions, but at the same time takes cultural aspects into account. Typical building materials that are available or used locally are reinterpreted in the color schemes and materials used. The dark red of the brick paving used for the access areas of the park and round the stadium is continued in the various shades of red of the seating inside and the polychrome slate floors of the VIP areas. During the day, the white roof rests on the fairfaced concrete of the primary structure like a lightweight garland of petals, while at night, with its large backlit membrane areas, it looks like a huge storm lamp. The façade enclosing the colonnaded gallery at the side of the stadium forms the backdrop to this vision, providing a symbolic reference to the man whose name adorns the stadium and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. With a graphic use of sayings by Nelson Mandela, the gallery (it is over 700m long) is interpreted as a "long walk" in the sense of sporting ambition and Fair Play among equals.

The construction of the Nelson Mandela Bay Arena has given Port Elizabeth a high-quality sports facility that will revitalize a whole section of the city. That increases the chances that the stadium will be optimally utilized after the World Cup as well. All the press and office areas of the arena can for example be converted to facilities for sports and leisure use and voluntary work, while the area between the stadium and the water can be used for lakeside relaxation. A new cycle path round the stadium and lake rounds off the leisure facilities in the sports park, so that the district around Prince Alfred Park will attract visitors day in, day out as a place welcoming public space.

+ Project credits / data

Project: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Location: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Competition: 2005 – 1. Preis/1st prize
Architect: gmp architekten – von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects
Design: Volkwin Marg und and Hubert Nienhoff mit with Holger Betz
Project leaders: Holger Betz, Silke Flaßnöcker
Staff (design) in alphabetical order: Alberto Franco Flores, Robert Hormes, Martin Krebes, Burkhard Pick, Tobias Schaer
Staff (execution) in alphabetical order: Margret Böthig, Martin Krebes, Michèle Rüegg, Susan Türke, Carl Christian Wentzel
Cooperation with: DBA Architects, Port Elizabeth; ADA, Johannesburg; GAPP Architects, Cape Town; NOH Architects, Port Eliza-beth
Structural concept and design roof: Schlaich Bergermann und Partner – Knut Göppert mit with Lorenz Haspel
Structural engineering: SDD8E Joint Venture, Port Elizabeth; KV3, Cape Town; Exstrado, Cape Town; Iliso, Port Elizabeth; BKS (Pty) Port Elizabeth
Electrical engineering and fire prevention: Clinkscales Maughan-Brown, Port Elizabeth
Sanitary and ventilation engineering: WSP Consulting Engineers, Cape Town
Landscape design: NOH Architects, Port Elizabeth
Project management: BKS (pty) Ltd/BTKM-PMSA, Port Elizabeth
General contractor: Grinaker LTA/Interbeton
Client: Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Port Elizabeth

Construction period: 2007–2009
Gross floor area: 50.000 m²
Tiers: 2
Seats: 46.000
VIP boxes: 49
Business seats: 2.390
Places for wheelchair users: 80
Places for press: 125
Underground parking places for cars: 96
Length of stadium: 267m
Width of stadium: 207m
Height of stadium: 40m

+ All images and drawings courtesy of gmp architekten | Photo © Marcus Bredt

Maluku Museum (MUMA) commissioned Serge Schoemaker Architects to design a plan for the conversion and extension of the museum building. The design replaces a part of the existing building from the eighties and exploits the currently unused museum courtyard. The building costs of the MUMA extension are 1 million euro. It is expected that the project will be realised in 2012.

MUMA Extension Design, image courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

+ Project description courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

The mission of Museum Maluku (MUMA) in Utrecht is to collect, to preserve, to research and to present the material and immaterial heritage of the Moluccan community in the Netherlands.

MUMA carries out this mission by organizing exhibitions, conducting or ordering research, producing or co-producing events and shows, workshops and debates.

MUMA Extension Design, image courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

Next to the exhibition spaces, MUMA offers a knowledge center, a music theater which accomodates up to eighty people and a Moluccan culinary café. To improve the combined use of these four functions a conversion of the existing complex is necessary. In 2009 MUMA commissioned Serge Schoemaker Architects (Amsterdam, NL) to design a plan for the conversion and extension of the museum building.

Our design replaces a part of the existing building from the eighties and exploits the currently unused museum courtyard. The extension connects the different activities within the museum. It improves the transition through the complex and offers the MUMA a spatious foyer and a mulitfunctional exposition room.

MUMA Extension Design, image courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

The foyer and café adjoin the large terrace and characteristic garden. The exposition room is enclosed by the monumentalnineteenth century buildings along the Biltstraat and the Kruisstraat; here a naturally lit roof generates ideal exposition light. Because of the open plan and the centrally positioned bar and kitchen, the extension can be used for temporary exhibitions, lectures, concerts, parties and dinners.

The museum extension is a contemporary architectural design with a reduced materiality. The white plastered walls create serenity and the luxurious oak flooring generate warmth and intimacy.

MUMA Extension Design - Floor plan, drawing courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

MUMA Extension Design - Section 1, drawing courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

MUMA Extension Design - Section 2, drawing courtesy of Serge Schoemaker Architects

+ Project credits / data

Project: Museum Maluku (MUMA) Extension Design
Preliminary Design: 2010
Due for completion: 2012
Client: Museum Maluku, Utrecht
Architect: Serge Schoemaker Architects
Project Team: Dik Houben, Hoda Khanbani
In collaboration with Jean-Paul Hitipeuw
Surface: 435m2
Costs: € 1 million

+ About Serge Schoemaker

Born in Amsterdam in 1975 Serge Schoemaker studied architecture at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, Switzerland. In 2001 his graduation project Imagebuilding was awarded the Archiprix International, the international award for the best graduation projects in architecture, urban design and landscape architecture.

He worked as project architect of several first prize winning competition entries at the office of Regula Harder & Jürg Spreyermann in Zürich from 2000 to 2002 and subsequently as project architect of the highly praised Kolumba Art Museum in Cologne, Germany, at the practice of the renowned Swiss architect and Pritzker Prize winner Peter Zumthor from 2002 to 2007.

Since 2008 Serge Schoemaker has run his own architect’s office in Amsterdam and is visiting lecturer at the Delft University of Technology, the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture and Amsterdam Academy of Architecture.