New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/01C | Page 80

MARKET SECTOR REPORT
STADIUM DESIGN
STADIUM OF THE FUTURE
Populous senior principals Chris Paterson and Tom Jones consider the key
themes driving the nature of both entertainment venues and fan experiences
from London to Sydney, and everywhere in between.
Major pieces of social infrastructure like
convention centres and stadia are increasingly
providing the platform to create or reignite the
vibrancy and liveability of modern cities. As technol-
ogy advances and demographic changes take place,
architects need to be able to respond, providing facil-
ities for both fans and the wider community to enjoy
every week of the year, and for a range of different
events without compromising their core function.
We also need to recognise that fans want far
more than to just be spectators anymore, they want
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to be active participants in the event. This means
that we need to start by designing experiences
rather than just the location of a seat in a seating
bowl in order to allow live events to compete with
other leisure opportunities.
Venues of this scale also need to respond to the key
challenges of sustainability and environmental design.
As the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium opens
in London, we consider how this and many other
major entertainment venues are bringing new expe-
riences for the users, creating an active precinct