Brisbane Games ‘Northshore Vision 2050’

Article posted by Coliseum, August 20^th, 2024

Image: HKS

A design alliance has come together to propose an innovative reimagining of Brisbane’s Northshore for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games and beyond.

International engineering, design and advisory company, Aurecon, is part of the group proposing a vibrant new precinct that will support housing, business, recreation, education, health and wellbeing, tourism and a Games-ready sports and entertainment stadium under a transformative scheme entitled ‘Northshore Vision 2050’.

Northshore Vision 2050 proposes a dramatic, new, world-class 60,000-seat stadium with an adjacent aquatic centre and wave pool, and a retail and hospitality zone.

Pedestrian promenades extending east and west would maximise access to the river opening up the precinct as a new tourism destination and providing a unique riverfront experience accessible by ferry.

Image: HKS

Newly created public open spaces, elevated gardens, recreational canals and cultural venues would acknowledge the rich First Nations history of the site and reinstate the pre-colonial profiles of the river edge.

The bold vision comes as Australia celebrates its stellar performance at Paris 2024 and looks ahead to the Brisbane 2032 Games. Since its release, the scheme has gained widespread support amongst the people of Brisbane, business and sporting groups, investors and individuals.

The scheme is the brainchild of the Brisbane Design Alliance, a team of specialist designers in architecture, engineering and planning, uniting the local and global expertise of Aurecon, with architects Buchan, HKS, NRA Collaborative and Nikken Sekkei. The group has been working on the scheme for six months.

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

Image: HKS

Aurecon Managing Director, Community and Place, Tim Spies, said Aurecon was committed to supporting the development of sustainable urban neighbourhoods that provide long-term legacy for communities.

He said, “Given the anticipated population, business, trade and tourism growth in Brisbane and Southeast Queensland over the next decade and beyond, Northshore provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a liveable city and region that celebrates our unique history, climate and lifestyle.

“This is an opportunity to create legacy infrastructure including important transport connectivity well beyond the 2032 Games.”

Aurecon has provided engineering and advisory services to most of the sports and entertainment precincts across Australia, and many internationally, over the past few decades.

The company is also the pre-eminent engineers for mass-engineered timber buildings in Australia, widely considered vital to meet the sustainability aspirations of Games infrastructure.

HKS director Andrew Colling said ‘Northshore Vision 2050’ leveraged underutilised industrial land to realise the potential of the Brisbane River and deliver a valuable social and economic legacy for Southeast Queensland – one that gives back to the community.

He said, “The vision of the Brisbane Design Alliance is to make Brisbane an even greater city, now and into the future.

“Our Northshore scheme responds to projected population growth over the next 25 years, providing a mixed-use precinct unmatched in Queensland, located on the shores of our famous river and supported by a private finance model that will minimise cost to the State.”

The scheme is underpinned by the creation of a mixed-use urban renewal zone that will add significant value to the fabric of Brisbane, as a city and gateway to Southeast Queensland and beyond.

Buchan Principal Phil Schoutrop said the scheme would be staged to create a dynamic, mixed-use precinct that will respond to the rapidly changing needs of Brisbane.

He explained, “Stage One would establish a sports and entertainment precinct that accommodates the 2032 Games. It includes the stadium, warm-up facilities and a 2,500 apartment athletes’ village, alongside hotel, restaurant and leisure amenities.

“This combination of uses will allow for activation every day of the year, with the stadium complementing a much broader community offer.”

Subsequent stages over the following 15 years would integrate an additional 12,000 residential apartments and townhouses; enterprise, innovation and cultural zones; and a specialist high performance sports science and sports medicine zone.

A central park would provide public green open space. An elevated landscaped walkway or ‘highline’ would connect the precincts to Doomben Station while a green pedestrian bridge over the river would link the site to the suburb of Bulimba.

Colling said the scheme addressed the challenges of the city’s existing sports infrastructure.

He added, “We love the Gabba and its history, but it will always be constrained by its narrow site.

“A new world-class stadium at Northshore can be purpose-built for cricket and Aussie Rules while creating a unique Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic experience and venue to be proud of. Having direct connection to the river and views from inside the stadium back to the CBD will showcase our city’s natural beauty, river setting and sub-tropical climate to the world.

“Northshore Vision 2050′ will provide the legacy Brisbane deserves, creating sporting, community, transport, leisure, cultural and commercial infrastructure as an investment in Brisbane’s long term economic, environmental and social sustainability.”

Schoutrop pointed to the successful legacy of Olympic and Paralympic Games-driven urban regeneration at Stratford in the UK.

“London used the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to turn industrial land in the city’s east into a precinct that is now a thriving place to live and work, with enviable sports and wellness facilities. We can do the same in Brisbane. Our design-led scheme optimises land use and investment to make the most of this exciting period of growth and opportunity.”

Over the past few decades, Aurecon has provided engineering services to many major sports and entertainment precincts across Australia and internationally including: Allianz and CommBank stadiums in Sydney; RAC Arena in Perth; Adelaide Oval, Convention Centre and Riverside precinct; the redevelopment of Melbourne Park and Melbourne Cricket Ground; Te Pau Conventon Centre in New Zealand; TEDA Soccer Stadium in China and Wembley Stadium in the UK.

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