The SPS Stadia+Arena System was ideal for the unique challenges of the Philippine Arena brief. Primarily designed for the congregation of the Iglesia ni Cristo by architects Populous, the sightlines demand unencumbered views of the stage from every seat. The venue is also in an area that suffers frequent earthquakes, typhoons and heavy rains, which necessitates seismic resilience for earthquakes with magnitudes between 7.0 and 7.5.

Structural engineer Buro Happold responded to the demands of the brief by designing a foundation and base that is independent of the upper arena tier structure. The base of the building is isolated at ground level to reduce the forces from ground motion. Prefabricated SPS stadia decking is lighter in comparison to concrete and directly resulted in a 19% reduction in the weight of the supporting rakers. SPS can also absorb extreme loads and impact energy efficiently without cracking, separating or rupturing, making it the safest choice for spectators as well.

Our structural composite stadia decking underpins approximately 40,000 of the 55,000 seats. Utilizing the versatility of the SPS Stadia+Arenas System, the stadium terraces were installed after the roof had been completed and offered construction schedule flexibility that could not be achieved by any other method or material available.

The stadia decking was also delivered to the site and installed using smaller cranes and did not require any wet trades on site.

The design of the Philippine Arena has stood the test of time and is regularly recognised as a milestone in earthquake engineering.

Our YouTube channel has many videos showing the installation of the SPS Stadia+Arenas System, including stadia decking, at such high-profile venues as University of Delaware’s Delaware Stadium, San Jose Earthquakes PayPal Park and more recently at the San Jose Barracuda’s Tech CU Arena.

For the most up-to-date information, please follow SPS Technology’s Stadiums + Arenas LinkedIn Page.