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1999 the eyes of the world will be focused on Wales. The Rugby World
Cup will provide the launch pad for the millenium sporting celebrations
hosted by the Welsh Rugby Union.
At the centre of the celebrations will be the new Millenium Stadium.
It is to be built on the historic Cardiff Arms Park site right in the
centre of Cardiff. Designed for all-year, all-weather use, the stadium
will be the first in the UK with a retractable roof and the first of
its type in the world with 75,000 seats.
The stadium is primarily to be the home of Welsh rugby but, thanks to
the imagination and foresight of the WRU and Cardiff County Council,
it has been designed for flexible multi-purpose use. It is destined
to become one of the world's leading venues for sport, entertainment,
culture, pop concerts and festivals.
 The
National Stadium and Cardiff Athletic's ground currently share Cardiff
Arms Park. They have always been famous for their unique city centre
location and the wonderful atmosphere in the pubs and restaurants around
the site. The new stadium will retain this atmosphere and act as a catalyst
for the regeneration of the west of the centre of Cardiff. It will release
new development sites and encourage improvements to the railway and
bus stations. It will also open up the River Taff in the heart of the
city as a pleasant walkway with open air cafes and a venue for street
entertainers.
The establishment of the National Lottery and the setting up of the
Millenium Commission has created an unparalleled opportunity to create
buildings of real significance. The development of the new stadium has
been made possible by a Millenium Commission grant of £46 million.
The balance of the cost is being met by the Welsh Rugby Union's investment
underwritten by a major bank and by private sector investment.
The Existing Stadium
The National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park was considered a world leader
when originally conceived in 1962. Since then, however, it has been
left behind by the new rugby stadia at Twickenham, Murrayfield and Paris.
The present seating bowl offers good views and a wonderful atmosphere
but the restricted access and virtually non-existent facilities fail
to meet the high standards now expected by sports and leisure users.
Opportunities for upgrading are severely restricted by the cramped site
and by massive and intrusive structural elements.
The original capacity was 65,000 but this had to be reduced to 53,000
for safety reasons. 11,000 of these are standing terraces and the conversion
to all seated viewing will further reduce the capacity to about 47,500.
This is considerably less than Twickenham and the other major venues.
Significantly it is also considerably less than the demand for tickets
to the major events.
Where to Put it
Many owners, developers and designers have advocated moving stadia from
inner city locations to greenfield, out of town locations. This helps
maximise development gains and reduces planning and design restrictions.
This approach has its attractions but it is critically dependent on
the capacity of the surrounding transport infrastructure.
Environmental considerations were crucial in choosing the city centre
site. Any stadium located outside the city centre, away from its high
level of public transport facilities, would require vast car parking
facilities. That would put severe short-term pressure on the surrounding
road network and create traffic jams and pollution.
The city centre location also enables visitors to combine their stadium
visit with other activities. Users will have easy access to bus and
rail stations and to the new light rail system being developed as part
of the Cardiff Region Public Transport Study.
Development of the stadium is to progress in parallel with a major transformation
of Central Square immediately to its south. Central Square is the hub
of the public transport system which links routes from the city to the
valleys and the Vale with those to the regenerating Cardiff Bay.
The Site
Approach the National Stadium today from the north, south or east and
you could be forgiven for thinking you had come to the wrong place.
The stadium is well hidden by the adjacent buildings and by Cardiff
Athletic's ground to the north. It is only from the west that the stadium
is fully visible from across the River Taff.
Access to the ground is similarly restricted with even the main entrance
reduced to a narrow opening to the east which is shared by both vehicles
and pedestrians.
In order to remain on the Arms Park site additional space had to be
found to allow safe access and to provide room for the increased capacity
and facilities. This is being achieved by the purchase of adjacent buildings
to the south and east and by the construction of a new river walk by
the Taff on the west side.
The Stadium
The brief called for a stadium suitable for the next century. It offers
attractive spectator facilities, event flexibility, comfort and safety.
The wide range of possible events and the associated sports and leisure
facilities incorporated within the stadium will create an attractive
environment and community focus for use throughout the year. It should
ensure the stadium's success and enhance its contribution to the life
and prosperity of Cardiff.
The shape of the seating bowl is the primary factor in the design of
the stadium. Its form is optimised by computer analysis to bring spectators
as close as possible to the in-field action and to provide a high standard
of viewing and comfort for each seat.
It will provide a wide range of accommodation on its three overlapping
tiers while minimising the overall footprint and impact of the stadium
on its city centre site. The north section of the stadium, currently
interlinked with Cardiff Athletic's South Stand will separate the facilities
and access routes within the two stands.
The rear of the lower tier and its concourse will link directly with
the external podium, surrounding streets and river walk. This will provide
direct access for wheelchair users and other disabled people to their
designated seating areas. Access to the middle and upper tier concourses
will be by escalators, lifts and stairs strategically placed around
the building.
Upper and lower tier concourses will offer similar high standards of
toilet and refreshment amenities for spectators. The middle tier is
to provide accommodation for the WRU, hospitality suites, media facilities
and the stadium control room all on its upper level with specialised
refreshments and dining accommodation on its lower level concourse.
Car parking, delivery access and back of house facilities are to be
accommodated in the two levels below the podium.
The final selection of pitch type has yet to be made. The choices are
a permanent natural grass pitch with suitable temporary covering for
concerts and the like or an alternative palletised grass pitch. The
stadium design incorporates an acoustically insulated moving roof system
to provide full weather protection and to reduce noise break out. This
combination of features provides enormous flexibility and potential
in the type and programming of events that the stadium can accommodate.
New links to the city centre and the rail and bus stations are being
created by a landscaped main entrance piazza to the south and a new
entrance to Westgate Street. The river is to be opened up for the first
time by the creation of a walk linking Cardiff Bridge and Cowbridge
Road to the north and Wood Street Bridge and the entrance piazza to
the south.
Long Term Gains
The new stadium will provide far-reaching benefits. The development
of rugby and other sports at grass roots level throughout Wales will
be significantly enhanced. The wide range of activities the stadium
can host, ranging from rock concerts and conventions to opera and major
cultural festivals will further enhance the development of Cardiff and
South Wales. Unlike traditional stadia, the sliding roof will provide
control over the weather and enable the stadium to host such events
all year round. 
JRJ Parrish is a director of Lobb Partnership.
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