9-3 Construction Has Begun! —Saitama Super Arena—

In the opening scene of the movie *Star Wars*, set to the theme music composed by John Williams, a massive spaceship passes endlessly overhead. There’s something thrilling about seeing a massive structure—one that seems unlikely to move—actually in motion.
Saitama Super Arena At (Design: MAS2000 Design Office, Representative: Nikken Sekkei), a structure known as the “Moving Block,” with a total weight of 15,000 metric tons, is in motion.This weight of 15,000 metric tons is equivalent to the weight of approximately 15,000 passenger cars, or roughly that of an average 10-story office building.

In May 2012, global superstar Lady Gaga visited Japan and performed at the Saitama Super Arena. It is reported that the total attendance for her three-day Japanese tour reached 105,000 people. As the online information environment expands, the desire to experience events in person seems to be growing ever stronger.Furthermore, sports events—such as professional soccer exhibition matches and American football games—as well as participatory events like city marathons are becoming increasingly large-scale. The Saitama Super Arena was designed to accommodate a seating configuration called “Stadium Mode,” which can hold up to 37,000 people during such large-scale events.

However, such large-scale events are not held frequently throughout the year. For the majority of events, an event hall with a capacity of around 5,000 people is sufficient. Conversely, in a hall that is too large, it is difficult to create an event with an immersive atmosphere, so organizers naturally seek an event hall whose size is appropriate for the number of attendees.

Saitama Super Arena To meet this demand, the hall’s size and seating capacity were made adjustable by moving the large structural elements that support the seating. This reduced seating configuration, with a capacity of 5,000 seats, is called “Arena Mode,” and the large structural elements supporting the seats are called “Moving Blocks.”“Arena Mode” is suitable not only for concerts but also for events such as basketball and ice skating.

The Moving Block is a 15,000-metric-ton, roofed, movable architectural structure that houses not only seating areas and a lobby but also shops, restrooms, and staircases.The Moving Block’s roof is equipped with air conditioning ducts and fire sprinklers. This large, semicircular structure—measuring 126 meters wide, 70 meters deep, and 41.5 meters high, with a lobby concourse spanning five floors—moves slowly as if walking through the entire stadium.

This moving block is supported by 64 bogies and can travel a distance of 70 meters in 20 minutes using 20 controlled motors.The piping for the sprinkler system, restrooms, and air conditioning ducts does not expand or contract; instead, the structure is designed so that the pipes and ducts can be connected to the respective positions in both “Stadium Mode” and “Arena Mode,” allowing them to be connected or disconnected as needed.

This isn’t the only movable component in the entire building. To accommodate sporting events, the field can be fully covered with artificial turf when the stadium mode is activated, and the facility is equipped with a mechanism that allows this turf to be rolled up into a single roll. Naturally, it also features a ceiling-mounted suspension system with movable batons and lighting fixtures to enhance the visual effects for concerts and other events.

When used in Arena Mode, the moving blocks shift aside, creating a large open space in their wake. Natural light and breezes flow into this space through skylights and openings, transforming it into an open, airy event venue. This space also connects to the outdoor Keyaki Plaza and is affectionately known as the “Community Arena.”
The “stadium or arena,” which is soundproofed and shaded, and the “Community Arena,” which integrates with the outdoor space to create an urban plaza, form two contrasting event spaces.

Saitama Super Arena While it is one of Japan’s most heavily utilized venues, it also demonstrates new possibilities arising from “architecture in motion.”

(References)
Saitama Super Arena　Website
(2000) *Shin Kenchiku*, July 2000 issue, Shin Kenchiku-sha