Populous deft touch to hallowed Eden Gardens

Image: Trade and Investment Queensland

After Australia’s historic Cricket World Cup win at their first major Indian cricket project, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, the famed design studio Populous have been officially unveiled as the Lead Architect on the redevelopment of Kolkata’s (India) famed Eden Gardens.

‘TRADE + INVESTMENT QUEENSLAND’ stated that the redevelopment project will create a truly 21^st century venue at the Eden Gardens, with safety, sustainability and experience at the core, looking to increase the 68,000-seat capacity while keeping the same footprint, ensuring the fans remain close to the action.

The Narendra Modi Stadium, also known as the Motera Stadium, is an international cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It is the largest stadium in the world, with a seating capacity for 132,000 spectators.

Kansas City (US)-based Populous is a global architectural and design practice specializing in sports facilities, arenas and convention centers, as well as the planning and design of major special events.

Christopher Lee, Managing Director EMEA, Populous, UK, is a Member of Coliseum – Global Sports Venue Alliance.

The Eden Gardens is an international cricket stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and the third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 68,000.

Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)-based Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) is the Queensland Government’s dedicated global business agency with representation in 16 countries, across 21 locations, with 12 Trade and Investment Commissioners covering seven regions around the world. The TIQ helps Queensland companies access the international markets and facilitates foreign investments in Queensland.

‘TRADE + INVESTMENT QUEENSLAND’ further stated that Populous will bring its expertise in working on the world’s leading cricket stadiums, such as the 31,180-capacity Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, England (UK), the 1,00,024-capacity MCG in East Melbourne, Australia, and the 42,000-capacity The Gabba in Woolloongabba, Australia, to the project.

The world-renowned firm is responsible for iconic stadium builds both domestically and abroad, including the 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium and the 27,500-capacity Heritage Bank Stadium in Queensland, the 12,000-capacity National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China, and the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England (UK).

Populous is currently engaged in two further cricket projects in India and has also joined the country’s quest for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games by delivering the master plan of the under-construction Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and being part of the overall feasibility study for Ahmedabad – which is expected to be at the center stage of India’s Olympic aspirations.

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave is an under-construction sports enclave being built in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Once the sports enclave is fully built, it will be one of the largest of its kind in India. On the seating capacity of the six stadiums in the proposed sports enclave, an official said the football stadium will have a capacity to seat 50,000, the basketball arena 5,000, the multipurpose indoor arena 18,000, the tennis center 10,000, the volleyball stadium 12,000, and the aquatics center 12,000.

Populous Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Paul Henry, said his firm were honored to have the opportunity to work on one of the most revered grounds in world cricket (Eden Gardens). This is a win for the Queensland professional services firms as the State continues to build its trade and investment relationship with India. We can be very proud of the Queensland design talent we export to India and indeed all over the world. This success is another example of the trade opportunities that the Queensland firms can create in the run- up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and these opportunities cannot be underestimated.”

The 2032 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXV Olympiad and also known as Brisbane 2032, is an upcoming international multisport event scheduled to take place between July 23^rd to August 8^th, 2032 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

The Trade and Investment Queensland head honcho Justin McGowan said Populous had been responsible for many of the world’s most cutting-edge stadia projects – “Populous personifies Queensland’s vision on a global scale. Their continued success across a major market like India reflects their growing stature as a leading international architectural design firm and we remain eminently proud of their Queensland innovation and origins. We are proud of our strong links to India through our shared rivalry and passion for competition and sport, these are natural areas for Queensland and India to collaborate and the Eden Gardens Stadium is a global symbol of sport. Our Queensland-India Trade and Investment Strategy focuses on strengthening our bilateral ties through the existing economic, institutional and people-to-people links, and sports diplomacy will always play a significant and central role in this process.”

In 2022-2023, the value of Queensland architectural, engineering, scientific, and other technical services exports grew by $105 million or 56 percent to $292 million, representing 20 percent of the national share.
 

Fast Facts

• India is Queensland’s third largest goods export market valued at $16.5 billion;
• India was the world’s most populous country in 2023 with 1.43 billion people and is projected to be the world’s third largest economy by 2030;
• Queensland’s Indian diaspora has grown to over 90,000, making it the third-largest Indian community in Australia and the second largest non-European diaspora in the State of Queensland;
• The Queensland-India Trade and Investment Strategy 2023-2027 was launched in August 2023 and will be delivered by Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ);
• The TIQ has had a presence in India since 2004 and currently operates out of offices in both Bengaluru and Mumbai (Indian Metro Cities);
• Eighty percent of Populous’ business is export-based and it won the coveted Australian Exporter of the Year Award in 2019; and
• All Populous’ work in the Asia Pacific is directed from the APAC headquarters in Brisbane with 14 Populous offices reporting to Brisbane including in Korea, Malaysia, India, China, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, Sydney (Australia), Melbourne (Australia), and Japan.

 
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