New south terrace set to be unveiled as Hong Kong Sevens relocate to Kai Tak Sports Park

On Friday 28 March, Kai Tak Stadium will open its doors to the world’s rugby fans, as the Hong Kong Sevens becomes the first major event to be hosted in the city’s state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility – designed by global design firm Populous from its APAC headquarters in Brisbane and its office in Hong Kong.

The three-day festival of sport will see tens of thousands of fans enjoy the Stadium, which sits at the heart of the recently opened 28-hectare Kai Tak Sports Park, located on the site of the former Kai Tak airport on the edge of the city’s iconic harbour.

Populous Senior Principals and APAC Co-Managing Directors Richard Breslin and Paul Henry said the new South Terrace takes inspiration from the South Stand at the original Hong Kong Stadium, also designed by Populous, which for more than 30 years played host to the Sevens and generated the atmosphere synonymous with the tournament.

Mr Breslin said:

“The South Terrace will translate the excitement and sporting spirit of So Kon Po’s South Stand to what will rapidly become one of the world’s great sporting landmarks.”

The South Terrace at Kai Tak Stadium offers an event platform that is the world’s window to sport in Hong Kong. It allows spectators to immerse themselves in the action while the impressive 2,550m2 glass curtain wall behind them provides panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and seamlessly connects the Stadium to the city’s vibrant landscape.

Designed to reflect some of the more notable features of the old South Stand, the South Terrace has the same 5,000-seat capacity.

Bars and bands will keep the fans entertained during breaks in the rugby schedule, promising to create an atmosphere even more vibrant than fans are used to.

Known as the “Pearl of the Orient,” Kai Tak Stadium is one of the most technically advanced in the world, featuring a sliding roof with the most acoustic treatment of any roof globally that will amplify the raucous atmosphere for which Hong Kong is renowned.

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Mr Henry said:

“This is the world’s most integrated sports and entertainment precinct. It’s a city-shaping asset and having the Hong Kong Sevens here will bring the event to the city and the city to the world.” 

Kai Tak Stadium is one of three sporting facilities in Kai Tak Sports Park, which opened on 1 March. The Sports Park integrates retail, wellness, recreational and community spaces to create a user-friendly environment. The 28-hectare site is one of the largest Populous has ever designed and took its team of 150 architects and designers seven years to complete.

Kai Tak Sports Park: Facts & Figures

• The Sports Park is built on 28-hectares of land previously occupied by Kai Tak Airport in Kowloon.
• Kai Tak Stadium has a fixed seating capacity of 50,000. The facility has been designed to meet the standards of major international events.
• The Stadium features an innovative acoustically sealed retractable roof with one of the largest sets of sliding roof panels in the world, with a total operable roof area of 14,200m2 (7,100m2 for each panel) weighing 4,800 tonnes (2,400 tonnes for each panel).
• Kai Tak Arena is an indoor sports venue with the ‘Grand Hall’ having a seating capacity of up to 10,000, with 80% of the seats retractable or removable to cater for different events. The ancillary ‘Sports Hall’ offers a seating capacity of up to 500.
• Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground is an outdoor sports venue with a seating capacity of 5,000.
• Fourteen-hectares of the Park is dedicated to open space catering to a diverse range of user groups from community events to participatory sports and active recreation. It is composed of a rich tapestry of activity and education zones, galleries, trails and elements that honour the former airport’s heritage.

About Populous

Populous is a global design firm that began with a singular focus — to draw people together around the things they love, through experiences that capture all the senses, amplifying the atmosphere of excitement and pure joy shared in human moments. We design iconic spaces for the world’s most renowned names in sports and entertainment, from stadiums such as the London Olympic Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium to arenas and event spaces such as the Sphere in Las Vegas, and urban environments like the ICC Darling Harbour Master Plan in Sydney.

With our APAC head office in Brisbane, our diverse team includes specialists across a range of disciplines, from architecture and interior design to branded environments, urban planning and event design.

Having been involved in 14 Summer and Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games since 1996, our work has transformed neighbourhoods, revitalised cities, built relationships and connected people to the incredible and the awe-inspiring. It’s our vision for design excellence that has led Fast Company to name Populous one of the world’s 50 most innovative companies, ranking us No. 1 in architecture.