moses mabhida stadium – south africa world cup 2010

moses mabhida stadium south africa by gmp architekten
photo © marcus bredt


german firm gmp architekten have sent in images of the durban stadium they designed
for the 2010 FIFA world cup in south africa. located on the country's east coast it has been
built on the site of the existing king's park stadium and is named after moses mabhida, a former
general secretary of the SACP (south african communist party).



photo © marcus bredt


situated on a raised platform, the multifunctional stadium is accessed from the south
via a broad flight of steps. a 104m (two-pronged) arch curves high over the stadium as
an emblem, visible far and wide. the main entrance at the end of a 2.5km linear park coincides
with the bifurcation of the arch, as a gateway to the city.



aerial view
photo © marcus bredt


a cable car at the northern end leads to the skywalk at the apex of the arch. from here,
visitors can enjoy a spectacular view over the city and the indian ocean. as a distinctive feature,
the arch, gives the stadium its unique silhouette, while as a landmark it forms an imposing part
of the skyline of durban.



moses mabhida stadium
photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt


photo © marcus bredt



the entrance to the stadium
photo © marcus bredt

the geometry of the roof is predetermined by the architectural concept. between the strong
compression ring of the stadium bowl and the arch, a series of radial cables are clamped on
the inner edge of the roof so as to make the tension ring almond-shaped. the ptfe-coated
membrane of the roof allows 50% of the light through the surface while providing protection
against glare and rain. the façade of open lamellae, which follows the undulations in the volume
of the stadium, screens the encircling walkway from the sun and the frequent bouts of wind
while permitting a free view outwards. the outer skin is in effect a geometrical overlay of a cone
imposed on a cylinder, making a walk round the circuit of the stadium a interesting event,
with the angle of the rising facades changing as you progress.



the arch which connects the roof and consists of a cable car
photo © marcus bredt



entrance into the stadium
photo © marcus bredt



the cable car at the apex of the arch
photo © marcus bredt






inside the stadium
photo © marcus bredt

the maximum capacity of the stadium for the 2010 world cup has been set at 70,000
spectators distributed over three tiers. after the world cup, the number of seats will be
reduced to 56,000, but can be temporarily increased to up to 85,000 for major events.



photo © marcus bredt



inside the stadium
photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



the roof's arch
photo © marcus bredt


the 350m long free-span steel arch weighs 2600 tons - that’s the equivalent of 2,600 average cars.
the roof is attached to the arch by 95mm-diameter steel cables.



construction workers on the roof
photo © marcus bredt


the roof cover provides shelter to 80% of the stadium in the case of rain.



the stadium seats
photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt






the stadium's exterior
photo © marcus bredt

the new stadium with its surrounding green areas for sports, leisure and cultural activities
and social uses will develop into the focus of an attractive urban area and establish itself
as a high-quality venue for sports events in south africa.



photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



concrete support beams
photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



one of the lounges inside the stadium
photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



interior of the stadium
photo © marcus bredt



photo © marcus bredt



players showers
photo © marcus bredt



players baths
photo © marcus bredt



view at night
photo © marcus bredt



view of moses mabhida stadium at night
photo © marcus bredt



view of moses mabhida stadium at night
photo © marcus bredt

the roof is made of 46,000m2 of teflon®-coated glass fibre membranes, which will produce
a translucent glow when the stadium is lit.



view of moses mabhida stadium at night
photo © marcus bredt



view of moses mabhida stadium at night
photo © marcus bredt



the stadium at night
photo © marcus bredt



view of moses mabhida stadium at night
photo © marcus bredt



view of the durban coast and moses mabhida stadium
photo © marcus bredt



view of the durban coast and moses mabhida stadium
photo © marcus bredt



section view
image courtesy gmp architekten



floor plan
image courtesy gmp architekten



floor plan
image courtesy gmp architekten



floor plan
image courtesy gmp architekten



floor plan
image courtesy gmp architekten



floor plan
image courtesy gmp architekten



roof drawing
image courtesy gmp architekten



site plan
image courtesy gmp architekten


project info:
competition: 2006 - 1st prize
design: volkwin marg and hubert nienhoff with holger betz
project leaders: holger betz, elisabeth menne, burkhard pick
team: chris hättasch, alberto franco flores, susan türke, stephan menke, andrea jobski,
barbara düring, christian blank, helge letius, martin krebes, nadine sawade, kristian uthe-spenker,
rüdiger von helmolt, andrea jobski, uschi köper, florian schwarthoff
structural engineers: schlaich bergermann and partner
in co-operation with ibhola lethu consortium
theunissen jankowitz architects
ambro afrique architects
osmond lange architects
nsm designs
mthulusi msimang architects, SA
consortium with ibhola lethu pm jv
general contractor: group five, wbho, pandev jv
client: municipality of durban (ethekwini municipality), stategic projects unit
seats: 70.000
construction: period 2006-2009