(continued)

The exterior enclosure uses large amounts of glass to allow natural light to illuminate circulation pathways. The roof structure over all of these moving parts and activities extends 66 meters above grade. It is supported by a curved bearing wall at the north end of the arena and by two circular towers at the south end, which also contain vertical circulation elements.

The facility's owner is the Saitama Prefectural Government. The design team was lead by Nikken Sekkei Ltd., in association with American architects Ellerbe Becket and Flack+Kurtz Consulting Engineers. A special joint venture of Taisei Construction, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and UDK provided construction, design, and technical support to the team.

By moving walls and seating, the Saitama Super Arena transforms into a 22,000-seat arena. Image: Ellerbe Becket By adjusting the partitions and ceilings, the Saitama Super Arena can be configured to provide a 5,000-seat concert hall Image: Ellerbe Becket The roof structure over all of these moving parts and activities extends 66 meters above grade. Photo: Ellerbe Becket The arena’s soaring roof is supported by a curved bearing wall at the north end of the arena and by two circular towers at the south end. Photo: Ellerbe Becket The exterior enclosure uses large amounts of glass to allow natural lighting of circulation pathways. Photo: Ellerbe Becket   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.