Heralding new chapter
(China Daily HK Edition)
Updated: 2005-10-06 09:35

Built on reclamation areas, Macao East Asian Dome has every reason to be a remarkable part of the city's modern architecture history, writes Yue Zhang

To begin with, 4th East Asian Games is a sports event. But it is more than that. The largest ever sports event to be held in Macao will also write a chapter in the city's architecture history.

An overview of Macau East Asian Dome. [China Daily HK Edition]

To hold gymnastics and dance sports as well as the closing ceremony of the Games, the city has built the Macao East Asian Games Dome, which will have every reason to be another landmark building for the city.

Inaugurated on July 5, it is Macao's largest indoor stadium.

The dome is a three-storey complex occupying 139,960 square metres of land. It consists of two separate indoor multi-function pavilions designed for a variety of cultural and sports events, and can be turned into a convention centre for up to 2,000 people.

The 7,000-seat arena is designed to stage indoor track and field competitions, but is also ideal for other activities. The East Asian Games' closing ceremony will be held there.

Also, the dome has a theatre, which can seat up to 2,000 people on a U-shaped viewing stand, a layout best suited for many kinds of exhibition sports and other performances.

In addition to the two main halls, the dome also houses a 17,540-square-metre exhibition centre. And next to the dome are the Macao International Convention Centre and East Asian Logistics Centre.

"The dome will also be a good place for expositions and exhibitions after the Games," says a manager from the Games' organizing committee.

"It is a multi-function building, the first of its kind in Macao," says the manager. "It is convenient."

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