Civil Engineering March 2022 | Vol 30 No 2

18 March 2022 Civil Engineering I n true “Nike style”, Shapa Soweto will be powered by a strong Nike collective including athletes, trainers, choreog- raphers, celebrated footballers, and local sports coaches. The facility has been built with the purpose of providing equal access to sports for children living in underprivi- leged communities, where leisure activities are often disrupted by the quest to fulfil basic needs. The programme also includes a drive to create safe spaces for women, enabling access, growth, and development of female athletes across all sporting codes. Shapa Soweto is the place for the next generation of athletes, culture shapers, and fashion makers to come together and do what they do best. This article outlines the creativity and intense efforts made by the professional team in bringing this incredible project to life. BACKGROUND The Shapa Soweto project is a flagship project for Nike and has been established on the ethos that sport has the power to change the world and thrives off con- necting and uniting people. Shapa Soweto started during the South African 2010 FIFA World Cup as a world-class football training facility for footballers in Soweto. The facility was aimed at bringing together the highest quality trainers and coaches to inspire youth through sport while teaching them important life skills and contributing to their overall development. The facility was extremely well used at first but began losing support over time as it failed to pique the interest of the wider community. An intense renovation and relaunch of Shapa Soweto was therefore com- missioned by Nike in 2021 with the aim of creating a facility that gives young people the creative freedom to discover the sports and activities that move and inspire them. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aim of the project was to create a training facility that speaks to the com- munity and inspires youth and female athletes to engage and unite in sports and activities. Nike, being a world leader in quality and innovation, decided that this project needed to be a landmark in the area and thus employed a professional team to think outside the box and come up with a design that would represent Nike’s bold presence in the area. Grit (Noun) : “Courage and determination despite difficulty” Nike Shapa Soweto: for a new generation of athletes Praveer Parbhoo Pr Eng Technical Director Aspire Consulting Engineers info@aspireconsulting.joburg The Nike Shapa Soweto project involved the design and construction of a new multi-disciplinary sports and community centre, based in Soweto, Johannesburg. Among other amenities, the facility includes a 400 m running track, two FIFA-accredited football fields, two indoor soccer fields, a professional skate park, a basketball court, a social yard, a makers’ studio as well as a training and dancing academy. The social yard at night Zeenat Karrim Pr Eng Managing Director Aspire Consulting Engineers info@aspireconsulting.joburg