‘Auckland Wynyard Point venue plans cut ice’

Image: Populous

The final horse in the Auckland (New Zealand) stadium race has been revealed.

‘NewstalkZB’ stated that a stadium and entertainment precinct at Wynyard Point (Auckland, New Zealand) encompassing a main 55,000-seat stadium, an indoor arena and an outdoor amphitheater to view harbor events like SailGP (international sailing competition), is the fourth proposal that will be voted on next month.

It joins Eden Park 2.1, a redevelopment option of the current national stadium, a waterfront stadium precinct at Quay Park or Te Tōangaroa, backed by the New Zealand Rugby and including an All Blacks-branded hotel and a fully enclosed stadium sunk into the Waitematā Harbour with a floating roof above the sea level.

The Eden Park is a sports venue in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located three kilometers Southwest of the Auckland central business district (CBD), on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and Kingsland. The main stadium has a nominal capacity of 50,000 and is sometimes referred to as New Zealand’s national stadium. The stadium is used primarily for rugby union matches in Winter and cricket in Summer, and has also hosted rugby league and association football matches, as well as concerts and cultural events.

The Eden Park 2.1 is a proposed refurbishment of Auckland’s main stadium, the Eden Park, to make it a 60,000-capacity sport and entertainment venue. The proposed enhancements include: A retractable roof, three new grandstands, a pedestrian promenade to the Kingsland Train Station, and a revamped Northern Stand.

Image: Populous

The vision for Te Tōangaroa (Quay Park) (Auckland, New Zealand) includes a 50,000-seat, U-shaped stadium as well as four hotels, bars, restaurants, retail, commercial office spaces, apartments, education and health facilities, and open public spaces, designed to “enhance the mana of the whenua (the indigenous people [Māori] who have historic and territorial rights over the land.”

Wellington (New Zealand)-based New Zealand Rugby is one of New Zealand’s largest sports organizations and the governing body of rugby union committed to ensuring that the country’s national game rugby is run smoothly and effectively.

The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, represents New Zealand in men’s international rugby union, which is considered the country’s national sport. Famed for their international success, the All Blacks have often been regarded as one of the most successful sports teams in history. The Eden Park serves as their home base.

‘NewstalkZB’ further stated that the Wynyard Point Consortium Head Richard Dellabarca informed that the current set-up of four stadiums (the Eden Park, the 25,000-capacity Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, the 25,000-capacity North Harbour Stadium, and the 30,000-capacity Western Springs Stadium – all in Auckland) was unsustainable.

He made the point that Melbourne (Australia) had 10 Australian Rules teams, yet used just two stadiums to host their fixtures.

The Australian Rules football, also called Australian football or Aussie Rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground.

Added Dellabarca, “From a fiscal perspective, it makes no sense to continue with the four stadiums. I think the other thing is, from a customer experience perspective, if you go overseas, look at the Suncorp (in Brisbane, Australia): 52,000 fans, rectangular stadium, what an amazing atmosphere. We just don’t have that.”

He believes the Wynyard Point proposal is clearly the best available and the most cost-effective – “It’s one of the best sites in the world. We’ve got the best stadium designers in the world. The reason they’ve joined us is because they think this is an amazing site, one of the best they’ve seen in the world, and they have the ability to create something really iconic for New Zealand. It’s the lowest-cost site to build on. It doesn’t have the complexity of the Quay Park and it doesn’t sit in the middle of a densely populated suburb, Mt Eden [where Eden Park sits]. So you’ve got the double whammy of an iconic site and actually at the lowest-cost site to build.”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

• Tags »
• Auckland
• New Zealand

« Previous News: Brazil venue shot in the arm naming deal
» Next News: Cincinnati Open Campus rejig nod to history