Paul Biya (Olembe) Omnisports Stadium

Optimizing structural and cladding design while enhancing microclimate conditions for players, spectators, and turf

The Paul Biya Omnisports Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon — also known as the Olembe Stadium — boasts a 60,000-spectator capacity football stadium, hotel rooms, a pool, a shopping mall, and conference space. The stadium features colorful petals that make up its unique façade. The design team contracted RWDI to study overall wind-induced cladding and structural loads acting on the roof structure. We also conducted refined computational modeling of the turf-level solar radiation, spectator thermal comfort, and athlete heat stress in the stadium. Thanks to RWDI efforts, the stadium design team was able to optimize the structural and cladding design while enhancing microclimate conditions for players, spectators, and turf.