Awards will be presented Feb. 21, 2002, at New York’s famed Rainbow Room. The program was created by Business Week and Architectural Record magazines in association with the American Institute of Architects.
Saitama Super Arena, an elegant Japanese venue that converts from an intimate concert hall to a full-fledged stadium in less than one-half hour, is one of 11 projects honored this year. The design team was led by Nikken Sekkei (representative of MAS 2000 Design Team) in association with Ellerbe Becket and Flack+Kurtz Consulting Engineers.
“This is a remarkable piece of design,” wrote the awards jury. “The ability to transform the stadium to conform to multiple types of venues helps support drawing visitors to this particular building, to this city.”
Located in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture in suburban Tokyo, the building is home to concerts, sporting events, industry trade shows and cultural events. It differs from traditional multi-purpose arenas in that the walls, seats and floors move and adapt to the large variety of events held in the building. Opened in the fall of 2000, the arena was an instant landmark in Japan and around the world.
Using a movable architectural block – the largest of its type in the world – the 15,000-ton structure can host concerts and exhibitions seating 27,000; an American football game for 36,500; or a concert for 5,000.
Technological Wonder
The moving block allows the facility to transfer 9,200 seats along with restrooms, concessions and circulation elements 231 feet (70 meters) between the arena configuration and the stadium configuration. The trip from one end to the other takes 20 minutes and is achieved by means of 64 base bogeys or trucks that travel on steel rails composed of four guide rails and 18 flat rails. When in position, the base trucks are held by lock pins.
"The Japanese wanted a facility with the functional diversity and flexibility of the Swiss Army Knife, offering a wide range of features and combinations," said Ellerbe Becket Principal Gordon Wood. "By using the latest technology and design concepts, Japan has a facility unlike any in the world."
The movable-block technology has performed flawlessly from its initial test in early 2000 to present. A system of flexible, quick-connecting utilities – water, sewer and electricity – was devised for rapid conversion between the arena and stadium modes. Electricity is provided by cables that are on a cable reel system that automatically winds the slack as the moveable block closes, and releases it when it opens. Plumbing and air-conditioning are cut and connected automatically whenever the block moves.
As if the movable-block system were not enough, the arena boasts a movable Lambda floor that can be moved vertically, up or down, to produce a variety of stage configurations.
Saitama's ability to host a number of different activities meant significant emphasis on sound quality design. The seats are made from sound-absorbing materials, and the arena’s sound-shielding design ensures that noise does not leak outside the building.
Spectacular Design
Saitama's technological marvels are complemented by its gleaming silver futuristic exterior. Large amounts of glass allow natural light to illuminate the pathways, and the roof structure extends 218 feet (66 meters) above grade.
The arena has played host to exhibition basketball games by the USA “Dream Team” and other national teams on their way to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The National Hockey League’s Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins opened their regular seasons with back-to-back games in the arena in October 2000. There is even a John Lennon museum housed within the building for the late Beatle’s legions of international fans. Other events have included concerts, conventions, trade fairs and civic celebrations.
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