African Design Magazine ADM #40 May 2018 | Page 10

LOFTUS PARK PRECINCT
SCORE FOR FIRST PHASE OF
LOFTUS PARK PRECINCT
Originally opened in 1923, Loftus Versfeld Sports
Stadium in Pretoria’s Arcadia suburb, was named after
Robert Loftus Owen Versfeld, the founder of organised
sports in Pretoria. The stadium has undergone a
number of name changes over the years and was first
renovated in 1977 and later expanded in 2008.
I
n 2010 this well-known home to the
Blue Bulls Rugby Union hosted six
soccer matches for the FIFA World
Cup. The stadium has also hosted many
musical events including concerts by
UB40, Celine Dion and Robbie Williams,
with some of these concerts drawing
crowds of up to about 80 000 people.
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AFRICAN DESIGN MAGAZINE © | MAY 2018
The potential to provide a mixed-use
development adjacent to the stadium has
been a dream for developers Abland for
a number of years. In 2013 the company
approached well-known Pretoria architects
Studio 3 Architects International to discuss
the design of a multi-phase development,
to be known as Loftus Park Precinct.