UK giants back ‘Crater’
Olympics builders keen to work on ‘iconic’ Auckland stadium plan.
The engineering firm behind London’s Olympic Stadium and home grounds of Premier League giants Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur wants in on Auckland’s submerged stadium concept.
World-leading consultancy BuroHappold Engineering has contacted Kiwi designer Phil O’Reilly about his stunning plans revealed by the Herald on Sunday last week for a coliseum-style sunken arena either on the waterfront or former railway land nearby.
The UK-based company, which has one of the world’s most impressive construction portfolios, now wants to engage Auckland Council, local sport clubs like the Warriors and other stakeholders to help solve the city’s stadium dilemma by creating something “unique and iconic”.
A partner at BuroHappold Engineering, Matthew Birchall, said O’Reilly’s out-of-the-box concept had huge potential and his firm wanted to help unlock a new development in Auckland.
“It is highly unusual and we are always interested in bespoke iconic stadia,” Birchall said from England.
“There is a real potential with this solution to create a modern coliseum of sport and entertainment that would enable a unique experience for the spectators and players alike.
“We would love to work with the stakeholders in Auckland. The city’s and the professional sports clubs’ needs could work very well together — creating an active and iconic venue that inspires a generation.”
O’Reilly’s artistic impressions, revealed last week, focused on a waterfront location, though he said the same concept could be transplanted to solid ground.
Engineering expert Birchall said creating a safe waterfront concept would be absolutely possible — but expensive.
However, he also said the cost of executing the same concept on land would be far less expensive than building a traditional stadium above ground — making “The Crater” a solid contender should Auckland Council decide to go for a new start.
“If you were to build a venue like that, not in the water but on land, and it didn’t have a roof on it, like an openair coliseum. You could probably do for £3000-£5000 per seat ($5640-$9400).
“A 50,000-seat stadium, normally, would cost upwards of £5000-£8000 ($9300-$1500) per seat in the UK market.
“Building the crater on land is demonstrably the less expensive way of doing it.”
He said the cheapest option could come in at around $280 million.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has said Auckland cannot afford a white elephant, adding the 50,000-seat Eden Park was limited to 21 night events and could need another $250 million spent on it over the next 15 years.
BuroHappold Engineering has not been the only party interested in The Crater since last week’s report. Auckland-based engineering consultants ENGEO also contacting O’Reilly over his project.
Senior project manager and geotechnical engineer, David Brodie, said they “have expressed interest in helping him”.
In March last year, rich-lister and Warriors owner Eric Watson pledged to invest in a new stadium for Downtown Auckland.
Last week Watson welcomed O’Reilly’s crater concept.