ANZ Stadium and Allianz Stadium to be demolished and rebuilt in A$2bn overhaul

Two iconic Sydney stadiums are set to be demolished and rebuilt in combined works set to cost more than A$2bn confirmed NSW Government official, Premier Gladys Berejiklian, last Friday.

ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, which held the 2000 Games, will be substantially demolished and rebuilt from 2019, after Allianz Stadium at Moore Park is rebuilt in 2018.

In tandem with the new 30,000-seat Western Sydney Stadium under construction at Parramatta and the planned 45,000-seat stadium at Moore Park, the 75,000-seat ANZ Stadium redevelopment will reinforce Sydney’s position as Australia’s true global city and drive the NSW visitor economy to unprecedented levels.

The NSW Government hopes the works will make ANZ Stadium the premier rectangular ground in Australia, and according to AAP, the new stadium could sport a retractable roof.

The plan, officially announced Friday, is larger in scope and significantly more costly than the vision put forward by former premier Mike Baird in 2016, which would have seen the two stadiums refurbished only.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed Friday that both Allianz Stadium and ANZ Stadium will be rebuilt and transformed into world-class facilities, keeping the NRL Grand Finals in Sydney for at least the next 25 years. She said:

We want the world’s biggest sporting clubs and artists to choose NSW as their preferred destination to showcase their events. To compete globally and attract national and international events, our stadiums must have the most modern facilities that offer a great experience for fans.

The investment will fund:

• A new 45,000-seat stadium to replace Allianz Stadium at Moore Park, with construction to start in 2018 and the new facility set to open in 2021 at an estimated cost of A$705m, subject to the tendering process
• A new 75,000-seat rectangular stadium to replace ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park, with construction set to commence in 2019 and completion slated for 2022 at an estimated cost of A$1.25bn, subject to the tendering process

Premier Berejiklian added:

This is an investment into our vital tourism industry, which is worth A$33.2 billion per year to the NSW economy and supports 164,000 jobs.

Sport Minister Stuart Ayres said:

We can also announce the NSW Government has secured NRL Grand Finals games for the next 25 years. The SCG will host one Grand Final in 2020 during the construction phase, and we have organised sequencing so that all other Grand Finals will be played at Allianz (2021 and 2022) and ANZ (2023 to 2044). We have a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to return NSW to its rightful position as the nation’s premier destination for sport and entertainment events. When we are finished our stadiums will be the envy of the world.

ANZ Stadium and Allianz Stadium currently attract a combined 3.5 million visitors per year and contribute more than A$1bn per annum into the economy.

The Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust welcomed the announcement by the NSW Government to redevelop Allianz Stadium.
Trust Chairman, Tony Shepherd AO, said:

Today marks a new era of sport in NSW with a new world-class stadium in Sydney’s original sporting precinct. This is the biggest injection of funds into the SCG precinct in generations which will truly give our loyal sporting fans and clubs the facilities they so richly deserve.

Allianz Stadium is failing to meet current safety standards, the venue is old and tired, getting in and out of the ground can be a battle and the stadium is failing player, media, official and spectator expectations. The new Allianz Stadium will create better connections with fans, better, safer and faster entry and exit points, better viewing lines, more and much improved food and beverage and toilet facilities and a safe and modern environment. It will have all the features required by the new generation of fans, media, officials and players.

The existing Allianz Stadium will close in late 2018 with demolition to commence soon after. It is scheduled to open in 2021. The SFS opened in 1988 as a Bicentennial Project and was fully funded by the SCG Trust and its members. It has played host to some of Australian sport’s biggest moments like the famous 1997 Newcastle-Manly grand final, George Gregan’s Bledisloe Cup-saving tackle in 1994 and the 1993 appearance of world football legend Diego Maradona.

The next generation Allianz Stadium will be the third football-specific venue in the SCG precinct, building on the rich legacy of the Sydney Sports Ground (1899) and the current Allianz Stadium.

The new stadium comes with a dual-mode for smaller club or larger championship events. Club mode will provide 30,000 seats with a revolutionary LED mesh screen covering the top deck. The screen will have the ability to show images supporting home teams, driving atmosphere and retaining noise inside the venue. In championship mode, the screen will be lifted for marquee events such as Wallabies Test matches, the NRL’s Anzac Day Cup and the A-League’s Sydney Derby, revealing the full 45,000-seat stadium.

The Trust acknowledged and thanked the support and advice of its partners the Sydney Roosters, NSW Waratahs and Sydney FC, and confirmed:

We have worked with them on plans for suitable alternative venues while construction is underway. Some matches will be relocated to the SCG and other to different Sydney, regional and interstate venues. We all agree that any temporary inconvenience will be worthwhile.

SCG Trust CEO, Jamie Barkley, said:

Along with plans at ANZ and Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney will have the best network of football stadiums in the country. It will offer the opportunity to host World Cup-type events in an unmatched trio of high class stadiums. The new venue will draw major events to Allianz Stadium on the doorstep of the Sydney CBD and will perfectly complement the NSW Government’s City and South East Light Rail project, which will make the SCG precinct even easier to get to when it opens in 2019. Sydney is a major world city and with today’s investment we will be a world city with world class sporting and entertainment facilities.

Main image of Allianz Stadium, courtesy: Cox Architecture

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