Gulf Construction Online - Sports mall set for year-end completion

UAE Focus

An artist’s impression of Sport Society mall ... construction under way on level 2.

Sports mall set for year-end completion

01 February 2019

Dubai-based Viva City has announced the completion of the first floor of its Sport Society mall – the world’s largest retail destination for sports.

Construction is on track on the landmark project being developed in the Mirdif area of Dubai and is set for completion by the end of 2019. The giant development, which will boast three floors, will open its doors in the first quarter of 2020.

On the work progress, Viva City said the project’s first floor had been fully completed and construction had begun on the second floor.

The ground floor of the mall will be the most vibrant, as it will host various sporting events, while the other two floors will include the world’s leading sports brands, as well as a chain of restaurants and cafes.

“The project’s construction work is progressing according to schedule and within the allocated budget, thanks to the efficient operations of Khansaheb Civil Engineering, the company commissioned to carry out the construction works,” remarked Edgar Bove, the head of design at Viva City.

The project involves the pouring of nearly 60,000 cu m of concrete and is supported by more than 9,000 tonne of steel on six floors, including the basement levels and the roof, which will be constructed using more than 160,000 sq m of casting moulds.

The works include the installation of nine steel beams weighing about 70 tonnes at heights up to 30 m above ground in one lift using a crane.

Work also includes the installation and co-ordination of entertainment systems of international standards, including stage lighting in addition to huge LED screens around the building, to broadcast local and international entertainment and sports news.

The hockey skating rink will be fully cooled to -5 deg C during the summer.

“The world-class building is well under way and on programme due to the depth of Khansaheb’s experience, innovation and expertise in building such key retail projects,” stated Bove.

Khansaheb will use building information modelling (BIM) to co-ordinate design and construction of pre-fabricated, factory-assembled reinforcing steel modules of up to two tonnes per module, which can be laid by around four workers in 15 minutes, MEP modules and pre-finished truss sections of 14 tonnes. Five sections per truss will be bolted together at ground level before being finally erected as one composite unit of around 70 tonnes.