A design competition was held in 1983 in which 14 competitors from around the world were invited. The Paris-based French architect, Mr. Roger Taillibert, was selected to design the complex in December 1984. The design process was then divided into four phases: Preliminary, Draft, Design and Tender.

The main Club Building is roofed with three wide-span, pre-stressed concrete shells, resting on an external abutment, covering a total area of 23,500 square meter, without any intermediate support. Each of the two triangular lateral shells covers an area of 9,000 square meter, with a span of 150 meter. The thickness of the shell membrane is between 20 and 35 cm, increasing to a meter at the abutments.

The weight of the shells is approximately 9,000 ton. The central shell, which covers an area of 5,500 square meter, has a trapezoidal shape. The technical challenge faced by the architects was to create, in their own words, a 'modern tent' of some 25,000 square meter, without any point of support thus creating a contemporary monument. This had to provide the ability to integrate multiple activities, as required in the client's brief, as well as to accommodate high performance techniques, and the use of pre-stressing technology needed to encompass large spaces. The structure also had to house air conditioning with a power of nearly 25,000 kW to provide a climatically insulated zone of comfort in the interior. Throughout the building, natural light was an essential requirement for the quality of life within the artificial inner environment. This is apparent in the floor plans and within the overall enclosed complex space, which uses light to set up a direct relationship with the exterior and direct horizontal visual access across the interior and towards the exterior.