Australian company to design stadium for 2014 Asian Games

A QUEENSLAND company has won the contract to design a $400 million stadium for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. The company, Populous, has gained a worldwide reputation for its stadium designs after success with Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, Gold Coast's Skilled Park and the main arena for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Trade Minister Stephen Robertson, who plans to meet with Incheon Mayor Sang-soo Ahn today during his Asia trade mission, said it was a major coup for the company. "This contract in Korea, with work now well under way in Brisbane, is creating jobs and assisting to cement Queensland's reputation as a leader in the international sporting infrastructure and event industry," Mr Robertson said. "A team of 10 architects in Brisbane is working on the project." Populous had also undertaken design consultancy for major projects across Asia, such as China's Tianjin XiQing Sports Park for the 2013 East Asian Games and Taiwan's Taipei Dome, a 40,000-seat covered baseball arena. "Populous's design work is synonymous with quality sporting events around the world, but this new deal in partnership with a local firm to design the 70,000- seat Incheon stadium is the company's first foray into Korea," Mr Robertson said. "The stadium project is exciting in that it promotes a new era of designing sustainable venues for major events. "The stadium will be designed so that it can be reduced in size to 30,000 capacity following the Games." Mr Robertson said Queensland merchandise exports to Korea were worth more than $6.3billion, ranking Korea the state's third-largest merchandise export destination. The 17th Asian Games – the continent's largest sporting event – is expected to attract about 12,000 athletes and staff from 45 countries and regions. Populous senior principal Andrew James, who will address the Asia Pacific Cities Summit about the new stadium in Incheon on Thursday, said it was an innovative design. "The 70,000-seat multi-purpose stadium builds on the design developed by Populous for the main stadium for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and illustrates a new level of sustainable design in major public infrastructure built for events such as Olympics or Asian Games," Mr James said. "The key to the Incheon stadium's success will be reducing it down to 30,000 seats in its legacy mode and linking it into the surrounding parklands to make it an open accessible building for all its people. This way it can achieve a connection with the community that is vital to securing its long-term sustainability and a true legacy for the people of Incheon." Mr James said the stadium would be the first landmark building people saw when travelling to Seoul from the Incheon international airport. (Source: GAGOC)

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