Sydney’s new rectangular stadium to have Australia’s steepest stand

Australia’s fascination with rectangular stadium continues. The recently announced $300-million stadium redevelopment project, designed by Populous, will bring Western Sydney a brand new rectangular stadium with all 30,000 seats under roof cover, plus an additional 1,000 person standing area.

The 30,000-seat stadium at Parramatta, in Sydney’s west, adds to growing list of four-sided stadium down under. The stadium is being designed to have the steepest stand (34°) in Australia, overtaking Brisbane’s Lang Park stadium. The New South Wales government is already boasting that the stadium will be the envy of the country.

Lendlease has been named as preferred design and construct contractor to deliver the new Western Sydney Stadium in Parramatta, on behalf of Infrastructure NSW.

The stadium – a part of a $1.6-billion plan to upgrade New South Wales’ sports infrastructure – will be able to support a number of different sports. Work to demolish the existing stadium will begin early next year and it is expected to be open to fans in 2019.. The new stadium will play home to the NRL’s Parramatta Eels and A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers.

It has been reported that the new stadium will feature a completely covered auditorium, very compact layout and the country’s steepest upper stand which becomes a massive terrace on the north end. The western main grandstand will have three balconies of premium seating overhanging the lower tier.

It will the first time in Australia that there will be a field-level business club placed just behind the team benches and with a window into the tunnel leading players onto the field, according to reports.

The exterior of the stadium will be simple and rather rough, with steel pillars dominating and most infrastructure placed on ground level (creating an open plaza with cafes along the north end). Only a thin mesh with lights will be wrapped around the stands, allowing the building to come alive at night.

At Coliseum Summit, a global series of stadium and arena business conferences, we have highlighted Australia’s penchant for rectangular stadium, brought about by the growing popularity of soccer ‘down under’. Russell Lee, Director of Cox Architecture, offered a detailed view on the ever greater demand for venues of the four-sided variety in an interview to Coliseum here.

The subject will be showcased at length at Coliseum Summit AUSTRALIA in November 2017.

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