Telstra Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia), venue for the Rugby World Cup 2003 Final.

PanStadia feature writer Steve 
Menary investigates the venues in 
which the forthcoming Rugby World
Cup 2003 will be played, and they 
all receive excellent reviews.

 all photos: HOK S+V+E

he recent series of repechage games between Tonga and Korea, and the USA and Spain, finally brought to an end the qualifying for this autumn’s rugby union World Cup in Australia.

Rugby World Cup 2003 will be the code’s fifth world finals and as many as 55,000 visitors are due in Australia for the event finals, which is expected to put up to £320-million into the economy.

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has chosen eleven stadiums, across the country, (see table) including a number of arenas that have been newly renovated to cater for the twenty teams that will line up later this year. The grounds selected to host the tournament’s forty-eight matches range from the 20,000-capacity York Park, in Tasmania, to Telstra Stadium, which staged the finals of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Setting the Stage

To help stage the event, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has recruited Anglo-Australian construction and property giant Bovis Lend Lease (BLL). BLL has worked on a number of major sporting events over the years, including the Centennial Olympics, Atlanta GA, USA, in 1996 and the Sydney Games four years later.

BLL’s commission for the Rugby World Cup will be to project manage and provide construction services for any works needed solely for the 2003 tournament, at each of the eleven stadia. In addition to this work, the firm, which is also working as a consultant on the 2006 Commonwealth Games due to be staged in Melbourne, will also provide facilities for the 4,000 media representatives expected to cover the tournament.

Bligh Voller Nield have been assisting BLL and the ARU in providing design services related to venue modifications in readiness for the World Cup 2003. This has included analysing all eleven venues with respect to media facilities and seating bowl/sightline issues, related to the match configuration for each. The Rugby World Cup project continues Bligh Voller Nield’s involvement in major sporting events, which has included, taking a leading role in the planning and design for the Sydney Olympic Games; and more recently, for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, where they have assisted BLL in preliminary venue planning work.

Keeping a Lid on it

A number of the stadia to be used boast a roof and there is the possibility that the elements could be closed out for the second successive Rugby World Cup, following the rain-free climax at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in 1999.

The 2003 Final will be staged at Telstra Stadium, which will also host half a dozen matches, including both Semi-Finals.
   

The reconfigured seating bowl of Telstra Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia) for the Rugby World Cup 2003 Final.

After a lengthy debate between the Sydney Olympic Authority (SOPA) and Stadium Australia Group, which runs Telstra Stadium, over the possible dangers to the turf, work finally started earlier this year on a project to add a roof. Telstra Stadium Chief Executive, Ken Edwards, said: “This final outcome is a common sense compromise between form and function and is a great result for everyone concerned. We will have roofs over the northern and southern ends of Telstra Stadium for the first time in its history and the playing surface will not be significantly affected by shadows cast by the roof structure. We can’t have the situation where lack of sunlight and poor ventilation damages the playing surface. Grass needs sunlight and air movement to grow and experience elsewhere has shown just how important it is to get this right.”

SOPA Chief Executive, Brian Newman, agreed, saying: “Telstra Stadium was initially designed to be a rectangular-pitch and this was strongly reflected in the original design. Recent enhancements will also benefit other sports played at Telstra Stadium, such as the Australian Football League, as the redesigned roofs will accommodate both rectangular and oval sporting fields.”

Built by local firm Multiplex, which is also re-building London’s Wembley Stadium, the ground was formerly known as Stadium Australia and housed a record 110,000 fans for rugby internationals and the 2000 Olympics. After the Games, Multiplex cut the capacity to a more manageable 80,000 by removing banks of seating from the north and south ends and re-shaped the pitch to cater for Australian Rules Football.

Ed Obiala, the Stadium Australia Project Manager who helped Multiplex win the Wembley job before defecting to arch-rival BLL, explained: “The overall shape of the stadium has stayed the same but for Australian Rules matches the lower tier of seats is collapsed and pushed back under the main stand.”

Telstra Stadium to Play Key Role

The provision of a roof at the ground, which was re-named Telstra Stadium after a naming rights deal was struck with the telecoms group, is the final part of a £50 million post-Olympic remodelling of the arena. The roof work should be completed by mid-2003, well before kick-off for the Rugby World Cup 2003, and is not expected to have any major effect on other events staged at the stadium beforehand.

“Much pre-fabrication work will be completed off-site before the final phase of lifting the large sections of the roof into place,” added Mr Edwards. “Therefore we won’t have cranes or scaffolding occupying a significant number of seats for long periods of time.”
The name of Telstra Stadium looked likely to revert to the original title of Stadium Australia after the International Rugby Board (IRB) insisted that all stadia used in the tournament must be ‘clean’ of existing sponsorship deals. The IRB insisted on this clause to cater for 2003 sponsors but the original co-hosts, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRFU), refused to comply with this demand. After a lengthy stalemate, in April 2002 the IRB withdrew its offer to the NZRFU to act as co-hosts, leaving Australia as sole hosts. The IRB said: “The Rugby World Cup has reluctantly been forced into this action by the NZRFU’s failure to conform or to accept its obligations, and having no regard to the proximity of the tournament, has had no alternative but to take the necessary steps to move forward as quickly as possible.” Telstra subsequently got round this problem by agreeing to be one of the tournament’s main sponsors and the removal of the NZRFU also gave the ARU greater scope for using a wider range of stadiums.

Starting with the Smallest

The smallest-sized arena that will stage matches this autumn is Wollongong’s 18,000-capacity WIN Stadium, which will host two matches. Yet larger well-known grounds still managed to miss out, such as Melbourne’s 77,000-seat Waverley Park and Brisbane’s Ballymore Stadium.

Ballymore was in the original line-up until there was intense demand for tickets to games such as France vs. Fiji, and South Africa vs. Samoa, not least from hoards of expatriate Pacific-islanders living in Australia. As a result, the ARU transferred all five matches earmarked for the 21,000-seat Ballymore ground, to the new 50,000-seat Suncorp Stadium.

Enter the Big Boys

Suncorp Stadium is one of three stadia, which are to host the Finals, that feature a roof — the others are Sydney’s Telstra Stadium and Melbourne’s Telstra Dome — Suncorp Stadium was designed by HOK S+V+E, in association with PDT, whereas both Telstra Stadium and Telstra Dome were designed by Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture (a joint venture between Bligh Voller Nield and Lobb Sports Architecture, now HOK S+V+E), the latter designed in collaboration with Daryl Jackson Architects.

With Australian Rules Football (AFL) and cricket both popular in Australia, many of the stadia feature oval pitches to accommodate both sports. However, HOK S+V+E claims that the £100 million revamp of the Suncorp Stadium has produced the first dedicated rectangular pitch stadium in Australia. The newly revamped ground will host both codes of rugby after opening on 1 June 2003.

HOK S+V+E Principal, Alastair Richardson, explained: “We learnt from Cardiff, and many principles that made the Millennium Stadium so successful have been incorporated into the new Suncorp and enhanced to create the Cardiff Arms Park of the south. Suncorp will seat 52,500 rugby fans only six-metres from the sideline, at the closest point, and 55-metres at the furthest point. This close proximity to the action, and the coliseum bowl design, provides an intimacy and atmosphere unrivalled in stadia in the southern hemisphere.”

Shining Examples

HOK S+V+E were not only involved in the design for the Telstra Stadium and Telstra Dome — through Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture, with Daryl Jackson Architects also collaberating for the latter — but also worked on the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which was rebuilt from the old Cardiff Arms Park.

This experience meant that HOK S+V+E realised the importance of using a roof on the Suncorp Stadium to create the right atmosphere. HOK S+V+E Senior Principal, Paul Henry, adds: “The elusive quality of atmosphere was a primary element of design in the stadia to be used for the Rugby World Cup 2003. The seating arena of each stadium is different, however, in each venue the seats wrap around the whole of the field, achieving a great sense of enclosure.

“In Sydney, there is a sense of elegance and grandeur and Melbourne’s fully enclosed hi-tech roof responds to its sophisticated sporting public. In Brisbane, the flat, floating, tropical roof of Suncorp Stadium makes it a good neighbour in a suburban setting and reflects the Queensland lifestyle.

“Sport may be the main event but it is not the full story and the stadia have been designed to be alive, useful and valuable to the community long after the match is over. With the level of operational facilities maximized for every market segment, the aim is for a family of five to enjoy the venue as individuals, perhaps in five different ways.

“Stadia design is evolving constantly and the redeveloped Suncorp is representative of a new generation of stadia, the fifth generation. The criterion for this new generation is that the stadium is no longer part of the existing infrastructure; it creates an entirely new infrastructure.” 

Aerial view of the completed Suncorp Stadium, with the city of Brisbane in the background.

The Design Features that make the RWC 2003 stadia special. 
By Paul Henry, Senior Principal, and Alastair Richardson, Principal, HOK Sport + Venue + Event 

Almost half the matches in the forthcoming Rugby World Cup will be played in three leading venues in which HOK S+V+E has been involved in the design. The firm also designed the main venue of the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Millennium Stadium, at Cardiff Arms Park in Wales. We have witnessed the evolution of rugby union stadia over time, as well as refined, and redefined, what we learnt in Cardiff for the new generation of rugby stadia in 2003. 

The Rugby World Cup was first co-hosted in Australia in 1987 with New Zealand. The matches attracted 60,000 spectators and boasted a television audience of 300-million. In 1999 Wales and England co-hosted the event and attracted 1.75-million spectators with a television audience of 3-billion. In 2003 the event is expected to attract as many as 40,000 overseas visitors to Australia alone, with an economic benefit of AUD $800M.

The Rugby World Cup will provide the first opportunity to host a major international event at the newly redeveloped Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, following its AUS $260M revamp. Designed specifically for the rugby codes, Suncorp Stadium, will host nine matches and two-Quarter Finals during the six weeks of the World Cup competition. HOK S+V+E has completed the design in association with PDT architects, and Brisbane now boasts the first modern, dedicated, rectangular-pitch stadium in Australia. Suncorp Stadium will seat 52,500 rugby fans, only six-metres from the sideline at the closest point and 55-metres from the furthest point. This close proximity to the action and the coliseum bowl design provides an intimacy and atmosphere unrivalled in stadia in the southern hemisphere. 

Telstra Dome (formerly Colonial Stadium) in Melbourne, will host another seven matches, including the other two Quarter Finals, and Telstra Stadium (formerly Stadium Australia) in Sydney will host titanic clashes between several of the highly favoured teams, before its big events, the Semi Finals, and of course the Final on Saturday 22nd November. HOK S+V+E was involved in the design of both stadia. Telstra Dome was an HOK S+V+E joint venture Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture, in association with Daryl Jackson Pty Ltd. Telstra Stadium was designed by the joint venture company, Bligh Lobb Sports Architecture. 

So with the experience of Millennium and now the three major stadia in Australia that will play host to the Rugby World Cup, what is it we have learnt that makes for a great rugby union stadium? 

Uniqueness:
All three stadia are unique to their city, and identifiable as part of the architecture of that city. Today’s stadia form key structures in a city’s civic architecture and operate as a vital component in the community, reflecting what is special, what is unique about the city. 

Telstra Dome tells an urban tale, a catalyst for regeneration in an industrial wasteland. It is the “jewel in the crown” of the redeveloping inner city Docklands area. It also celebrates the Melbournian love of sport, providing a total event experience. Telstra Stadium will always represent the ‘best Olympic games’ ever staged. It was designed to form an integral part of Sydney Olympic Park. In addition, the grandeur and elegance of the distinctive white trusses that support the stadium roof draw a parallel with the other internationally recognised man made icons of Sydney — the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Further north in sub-tropical Brisbane, Suncorp Stadium, with its verandas, timber screens, and floating roof, responds to the Queensland lifestyle and its suburban location, on the fringe of the city’s CBD (Central Business District). 

Stadia design is evolving constantly, and the redeveloped Suncorp Stadium, opening on June 1st 2003, is also representative of the new fifth generation of stadia. The criterion for this new generation is that the stadium is no longer part of the existing infrastructure; it creates an entirely new infrastructure. Suncorp Stadium achieves this by adding to and enhancing the surrounding environment.

Atmosphere:
Atmosphere is critical to the success of any stadium, and the atmosphere was electric as Australia and France battled it out at Millennium Stadium in 1999. A tight site, compact bowl, the nature and fabric of the roof, and sense of enclosure all contributed to achieving that atmosphere.

Likewise in Australia, that elusive quality of atmosphere was a primary element of design in the World Cup 2003 stadia. The seating arena of each stadium is different, but in all, the seats wrap around the whole of the field, achieving a great sense of enclosure. At Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane it has created a coliseum effect; in Melbourne we have achieved total enclosure at Telstra Dome (aided by a fully retractable roof) and in Sydney a grand sense of anticipation and excitement of the Big Event at Telstra Stadium. Each facility has considered the total experience of spectators, they all offer more than just a seat at the game.

Major Roof Design:
Another key element of atmosphere is achieved through roof design and all three have a spectacular and dominant roofing structure. The roof is critical in harnessing sound, adding to the sense of enclosure, and providing comfort and protection to spectators. Each stadium has considered the roof differently. In Brisbane the flat, floating, tropical roof of Suncorp stadium makes it a good neighbour in a suburban setting and reflects the Queensland lifestyle; in Sydney, there is a sense of elegance and grandeur and Melbourne’s fully enclosed hi-tech roof responds to its sophisticated sporting public.

Superior Operations:
Operations are an integral component to the success of all three stadiums and have been designed for world’s best practice. What you don’t see is as important as what you see! There has been considerable attention to detail in the behind the scenes areas to enable the stadia to operate as efficiently as possibly. They all have a full basement ring-road enabling efficient servicing and separating servicing from pedestrian flow. In each stadium, the pedestrian facilities have been designed to allow a clean, smooth progression of people in and out of the venue, vital when manoeuvring large masses of people around in the same place. A full range of services is provided at each venue for patrons of all levels including the latest in food and beverage outlets, and generous numbers of toilets and disabled facilities. 
Never before has the comfort of a full range of spectators, from general admissions to high-end corporate’s, been considered in quite such detail. 

Technical Standards:
The technical standards are ‘world’s best practice’ at the three stadiums. Each has been designed with the digital revolution in mind, and has been future-proofed to ensure it can respond to the technology of the New Age. Each has the latest in seating, video screens and information technology, as well as the newest developments in grass and pitch technology. In all, a wide range of design measures have been introduced to ensure the stadia are environmentally sensitive, examples include the maximum usage of natural ventilation and recycling of water wherever possible. 

The latest issues of security in the post 9/11 world have also been addressed at all three main stadia. The latest security, communications and crowd control measures have been incorporated in the designs to make them some of the safest venues in the world. 

A Sense of Arrival:
Building a sense of arrival, anticipation and excitement, was a fundamental design objective in all three stadiums so great emphasis was given to the outside plaza areas. They serve as a bridge between the infrastructure around the stadium and the action inside. They are a meeting point but also present people arriving with a sense of the drama about to unfold inside and heighten the feelings of anticipation. Each Stadium has been designed in relation to the surrounding area. Telstra Stadium plazas integrate with Sydney Olympic Park.

Suncorp Stadium plazas connect with an extensive series of new pedestrian and transport infrastructure routes, developed to link the stadium back to the city, so that it is not isolated. Telstra Dome plazas link with a sophisticated public transport system that leads to the bars, restaurants and shops of downtown Melbourne. 

The Event Experience:
Modern stadia offer a total event experience and the Australian Rugby World Cup stadia are no exception. Sport may be the main event but it is not the full story and the stadia have been designed to be alive, useful and valuable to the community long after the match is over. With the level of operational facilities maximized for every market segment, the aim is for the whole family to enjoy the venue, in their own ways, both as individuals and as a group.

And Finally:
A grand evolution of Rugby stadia is underway. Lessons have been learnt from Cardiff and now the latest in our Rugby stable is opening in Brisbane. Many of the principles that have made Millennium so successful have been incorporated into the new Suncorp and enhanced to create the Cardiff Arms Park of the South. Suncorp Stadium leads the way in its attention to detail and respect for its local environment. It not only celebrates sport but also can take its place among the civic icons of the city. 

(For a more in-depth report on the redevelopment works at Suncorp Stadium, please refer to ‘Heaven Sent’, pages 30–33, also within this May’03 edition of PanStadia International.)

View of the completed seating bowl, the “Cardiff Arms Park” of the Southern Hemisphere.

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