The National Day Parade (NDP) is a highly-anticipated annual event which celebrates Singapore’s independence. NDP 2015 was particularly significant as the nation came together to celebrate its Golden Jubilee. It was held at the historical grounds of Padang, the place where Singapore declared its independence and the venue for the NDP every five years.
This year, Pico is proud to have been appointed to provide services to the NDP for the eighth time, constructing the performance area and seating galleries at the Padang. We had to construct the performance stage and seating galleries before the first rehearsal on 12 June 2015, and then dismantle them expediently and ensure that the Padang was re-turfed in time for the Singapore Grand Prix in mid-September.
The team spent five full months at the Padang working with 1,400 pieces of 25mm tank steel plates, 500 loads of graded stones, 1,000 tonnes of premixed concrete and 29 lighting towers weighing 280 tonnes each; and installing seating gallery structures to hold 26,000 spectators. Each individual seating gallery weighed 400 tonnes.
Achieving this mammoth task on schedule while ensuring the Padang field sustained minimal damage was the biggest challenge the team faced. The performance stage and seating galleries were completed in less than two months and needed to be dismantled within 26 days. After NDP 2015, our experienced team managed the logistics and coordination work to ensure a proper handover of the space, and also made sure that the materials for the seating galleries were promptly returned for the next project.
Pico is honoured to have played a part in putting together a grand show in celebration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee.
