Getting design, construction right
league matches, football games and other sports, as well as conferences, trade shows and other private uses.’’
The upgrade is part of the Taranaki Regional Council’s work to improve our lifestyles in Taranaki, he says.
Ron Murray says the nature of the events and entertainment sector made the upgrade necessary. ‘‘We needed to position ourselves to give us the best chance we could … it is a competitive business.’’
The past couple of years has been very successful in terms of running substantial sports events at the stadium, he says – including the All Blacks, Fifa Under-20 World Cup, the Warriors rugby league, Wellington Phoenix, Mitre 10 rugby matches, and Super Smash cricket.
Having the right combination of venue and facilities makes the city attractive for entertainment events as well as sports events, he adds. Care has to be taken not to interfere with the quality of the playing surface, he says, but points out that large entertainment events are possible, as evidenced by the successful presentation of the Nitro Circus at Yarrow Stadium.
A major concert could be presented at the stadium – keeping in mind potential competition with the TSB Bowl of Brooklands. ‘‘Some might suit the stadium … but could the city handle 35,000 to 40,000 people? It would be a big challenge.
‘‘Years ago, there was a Tattoo held here; there’s no reason not to do that
Flexibility is a design challenge, according to project architect for the new hospitality suites, Jim Elliott.
‘‘The suites facility is a multipurpose space, available for high-end hospitality as well a seminars, smalls meetings or weddings. The challenge is to cover all those situations.’’
Jim is happy the design accommodates everything the project team could think of. ‘‘There are 28 various table and furniture layouts,’’ he says. ‘‘And there is a lot done in the background that people do not realise . . . when you change an old building around and make it work.’’
As well as being able to open it up to the stadium during games, he adds, there is also a blind system to close it up for meetings. Technology is also built in with all the desirable television and network services a group hiring the space might need.
The new food and beverage facility is presently focused on fast food choices, Jim says. ‘‘It’s designed for a higher throughput of larger crowds, and offering basic comfort foods … to start simple and develop over time.’’
The new facilities were also designed to accommodate people with disabilities, he says, a process managed with the help of the NPDC consents team and Taranaki Disability.
Weather and rugby provided challenges for the hospitality suites building team, notes ICL Construction director Cole Wenmoth.
The extremely wet winter made working more difficult, and then the builders had to be prepared for the influx of people and players when rugby games interrupted the construction phase.
Reshaping the western grandstand to accommodate the two hospitality suites also had its issues, he says – like renovating a house, builders were unsure what they would find once the existing structure was opened up.
Discovering that the existing guttering on the grandstand roof needed replacing was an example. ‘‘The food and beverage building was brand new and was more straightforward.’’
A good team effort carried the project ahead, he says. ‘‘The council and all the consulting teams were a pleasure to work with … we’ve all worked together before and know how things work.’’